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I read the thread, no responses from Apple nor Microsoft a.t.m. But considering WebRTC could potentially ruin much of Skype's business, a cynical guess would b

I read the thread, no responses from Apple nor Microsoft a.t.m. But considering WebRTC could potentially ruin much of Skype's business, a cynical guess would be that they won't make this easy.

gingerjoos 14y ago
> But considering WebRTC could potentially ruin much of Skype's business How? Apparently Microsoft plans to use WebRTC in the Skype Web client [1] [1] http://gigaom.com/2012/06/26/skype-webrtc-web-client/ http://gigaom.com/2012/06/26/skype-webrtc-web-client/
- TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
  Yep. Skype's selling point isn't its uniqueness. There are plenty of reasonable VoIP options out there, of course. Skype's selling point is its established user base. WebRTC can only help that.
ZeroGravitas 14y ago
VP8 is already used in Skype, and half the tech for the audio codec Opus came from Skype's Silk codec so it's not a forgeone conclusion. Possibly Microsoft control changes that equation, but clearly Skype thought this was the future when it was a standalone entity.
nl 14y ago
Skype's value isn't a particular technical implementation, it's the install base, directory and related network effects. WebRTC is likely to increase Skype's business (assuming the do a WebRTC implementation), at the expense of traditional telecoms and conference call providers.
- jonknee 14y ago
  Install base doesn't matter nearly as much when "installing" is just visiting a web page.
- rdtsc 14y ago
  > WebRTC is likely to increase Skype's business (assuming the do a WebRTC implementation), How so? Are their servers for sale and somehow they can license them so web clients can conference via them. Otherwise I don't get. Or are you assuming they will buckle and would be forced to implement the WebRTC protocol.
  - nl 14y ago
    Skype makes money from call-out (to traditional telecom services), call-in (give a traditional telephone number to a Skype address) and additional features (conference calls). WebRTC increases the potential market for all of those things by decreasing the friction - people won't even need to install the Skype client anymore.
mtgx 14y ago
Skype is already using VP8. But I'd really hate it if Microsoft (or Apple) acted like assholes and tried to force h.264 or some other proprietary technology into yet another web protocol. Web technologies should be free of patent-encumbered technologies. It's the only way you can ensure its sustainability and you don't run into patent problems a few years down the road.

I read the thread, no responses from Apple nor Microsoft a.t.m. But considering WebRTC could potentially ruin much of Skype's business, a cynical guess would be that they won't make this easy.

gingerjoos 14y ago

> But considering WebRTC could potentially ruin much of Skype's business How? Apparently Microsoft plans to use WebRTC in the Skype Web client [1] [1] http://gigaom.com/2012/06/26/skype-webrtc-web-client/ http://gigaom.com/2012/06/26/skype-webrtc-web-client/

TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
Yep. Skype's selling point isn't its uniqueness. There are plenty of reasonable VoIP options out there, of course. Skype's selling point is its established user base. WebRTC can only help that.

ZeroGravitas 14y ago

VP8 is already used in Skype, and half the tech for the audio codec Opus came from Skype's Silk codec so it's not a forgeone conclusion. Possibly Microsoft control changes that equation, but clearly Skype thought this was the future when it was a standalone entity.

nl 14y ago

Skype's value isn't a particular technical implementation, it's the install base, directory and related network effects. WebRTC is likely to increase Skype's business (assuming the do a WebRTC implementation), at the expense of traditional telecoms and conference call providers.

jonknee 14y ago
Install base doesn't matter nearly as much when "installing" is just visiting a web page.
rdtsc 14y ago
> WebRTC is likely to increase Skype's business (assuming the do a WebRTC implementation), How so? Are their servers for sale and somehow they can license them so web clients can conference via them. Otherwise I don't get. Or are you assuming they will buckle and would be forced to implement the WebRTC protocol.
- nl 14y ago
  Skype makes money from call-out (to traditional telecom services), call-in (give a traditional telephone number to a Skype address) and additional features (conference calls). WebRTC increases the potential market for all of those things by decreasing the friction - people won't even need to install the Skype client anymore.

mtgx 14y ago

Skype is already using VP8. But I'd really hate it if Microsoft (or Apple) acted like assholes and tried to force h.264 or some other proprietary technology into yet another web protocol. Web technologies should be free of patent-encumbered technologies. It's the only way you can ensure its sustainability and you don't run into patent problems a few years down the road.