Skype maintains independence within Microsoft

President of Skype, Tony Bates (Tony Bates) tells how Microsoft is not very successful attempts to integrate Skype into their products.May 10, 2011 Microsoft announced the purchase of Skype - since more than a year, in October of 2011 the deal was approved by the Commission. Skype has become the largest acquisition in the history of Microsoft, but the company still can not fully digest the $ 8.5-billion-dollar asset.The first year under the power of Microsoft for the Skype company went well. Over the past seven months, active audience Skype has increased greatly, especially if you look at the number of concurrent users are online. Microsoft is constantly working to "digest" the purchased assets. The work is proceeding on all fronts, and Steve Ballmer calls regularly Bates on Skype to discuss progress in this direction.The most difficult co-workers Skype, of which 44% work in Tartu and Tallinn. Immediately after the purchase of Ballmer personally flew to Tallinn office and was a traditional rite of initiation into the developers Skype, drinking a cocktail of "Red Dog" of tequila, sambuca and Tabasco sauce. With offices in Estonia, Sweden, Luxembourg, Prague and London, Skype is the only division at Microsoft, which is completely located outside its headquarters in Seattle. This is slightly worse control and loyalty of staff. For example, staff recently did pass a new office, and they refused to take the standard "badges" with the logo of Microsoft. Company President Tony Bates insisted that passes a logo on Skype.If a higher loyalty is not as good, with improved infrastructure VoIP-service Microsoft does best. Recently the company has successfully replaced conventional supernody Skype's own machines, which are placed on the hosting of Microsoft and work on a protected distribution Linux. Now, instead of 48 + thousand supernodov P2P-Skype network traffic passes through the 10 + thousand sites on hosting Microsoft, that has significantly improved system security and quality of service, given the rapidly increasing number of users. Each supernod in the old system could handle about 800 users, and new nodes can Microsoft keep up to 100,000 connections.The biggest stage in the development of the product will be a release of Skype for Windows 8 is in the autumn of this year. Due to this, the plates on Windows are required to obtain a competitive advantage - this was the main point of purchase Skype, analysts say.In addition, Microsoft plans to integrate Skype into the system Lync (corporate communications product), and the Xbox 360. For the Skype company opened more than 400 jobs, including a specialist in HTML5 for the development of browser-based version.

Microsoft is killing Skype

The popular Skype program was updated. But seems that her popularity will soon come to naught.

Let us first consider the essence of the update, and then I'll tell you about the many shortcomings of such a "magic" of service.

A program for iOS, has acquired a version 4.0, which brings both assures the developer, new features and many bug fixes:

Now you can manually move the icon image at the time of their visual communication
program is now better suited for people with disabilities
increased reliability (which is - not reported, probably sending messages)
updated design of the contact list and chat window
when the program starts, the icon does Skype unnatural movement
Fixed some bugs
At the end, and innovation is to find out what is the Skype program starts to yield to such services IM (instant messaging), as iMessage.

Let's start with the fact that when you first start Skype, you always find yourself in a list of all your contacts (not talking about multi-tasking). When testing an updated version of the program, she flew a couple of times, and when you start, instead of the active window contacts, you are met by a long (dolgozagruzhayuschiysya) complete list of all your friends, it does not make me smile broadly.

Further, as the developer assures Skype Software (the rights to the program has Microsoft), now has an updated design of the program. You know, changing the background color and a little application icons, removing a few elements, it is difficult to say that Skype is now very different from the previous version, or rather nothing at all.

By the way, it is worth noting that such a popular program no longer supports the iPhone 3G and iOS below 4.3.



Let me not so important color application icon, but a blind eye to the constant freezes and hangs the program is simply impossible. At first, I began to think that is very used to the smooth operation slowly iPhone and begin to find fault with anything that thinks at least a second, but left after reading comments in the App Store, I realized that Skype and the truth is far from perfect.

This is what informs the user by the name Wim Norder:

Update of April 30, more zamaykrosoftilo Skype. Everything is working properly, but now the interface is more like seven vindofon: buttons are flat, as in the metro, and other visual gridienty buns replaced the light blue range. A replacement well, the animation at the entrance to it is generally the most important, necessary and a major update. Now I run Skype just for animation.

My theory about the fact that Skype has long lost its leadership confirms the user MaXenaeL:

"Design" in the style of Windows 8 - ugly and tasteless, what shows when you run the "all contacts", because the more logical and easier to show "contacts in the network"?
Chat about all silent
in general, as inconvenient, illogical and buggy, as well as to any products MC (probably Microsoft).
And on screen with a clear photoshop video - Skype had such a picture does not give (it overestimated the quality of communication).

Thank God, there's FaceTime, which is at much lower speeds Ineta produces lethal image
Bottom line: Another use Skype, because they do not all have FaceTime or iMessage, but as soon as possible cast.

Summing up my article, I want to wish all the best, working with Microsoft developers, and gradually adapt to the customers comfortable from Apple. However, the fact that FaceTime does not allow users to call Skype, very sad, because this can be from Facebook.

Video calls on Skype you can now make a resolution of Full HD

According to the report, for making video calls with Full HD users will need the appropriate webcam and adequate passing ability of Internet connection - 2 Mbit / s for incoming and outgoing channels.

In addition, the new version of Skype for Windows now has a Push to Talk, which allows users to designate a "hot key" on your keyboard to turn off the microphone during a call, as well as integration with the toolbar search engine Bing.

Also, an updated version of Skype users will be able to read their news feed from the social network Facebook directly in the customer service video calls, and call your friends in social networks, even if they are not on Skype.

On Friday, Russia's largest search engine "Yandex" Skype video calls and services today announced a collaboration in which the Russian company will promote Skype on their websites. At the same time the Russian Skype users by downloading the client program will be asked to install add-ons for the browser "Yandex.Bar", which is the button Skype, allows you to deposit funds through the payment system "Yandex".

According to comScore, in December 2011 Russia's monthly audience of Skype users has exceeded 22.4 million, up 41% compared to the same period in December 2010.

Freeje for BlackBerry - cheap international call

Although Blackberry phones have lost some ground in favour of iPhone and Android based producers, it is still remaining in the top 5 in terms of world market share. This brand is particularly popular in US where the major carriers are giving Blackberry smart phones for a free with signing a two years contract. This policy is also used by the other phone makers, especially the ones which are falling out of favour, but Blackberry has been able to differentiate itself from the rest of the group by improving its phone functionality and standing intact with the recent technology developments.

Our recently developed Freeje product is specifically designed to the Blackberry platform and is meant to meet the increasing demand for customers long distance calling needs. Freeje  software is based on callback technology which can dramatically decrease the cost of calling. It is also allowing to make calls to Skype and sip telephony and can connect two people willing to talk. There is no hidden charges or any gimmicks and you can see per/min cost of the call prior to making it. It is easy to add money to your balance and  there are no strings attached.

The free-to-download copy of a Freeje software for BlackBerry is available on our site. You can also call our 24/7 customer service line and get all your questions related to the installation and usage answered.