Folks Skype 1.4 for Windows is available for download, and among the new features include much improved call forwarding to your land/mobile numbers. Think of it as a way to boost Skype’s SkypeOut sales. There are many more personalization options, including ability to add ringtones and pictures. (My suspicion - with this we are getting closer to making Skype into bloatware!)
Anyway buried in the press release, this bit caught my attention…
According to the independent study, Skype is used once or several times a day by 76% of its callers, far surpassing the usage levels of traditional IM-based voice calling services. Skype callers are more international, with 85% communicating with people living abroad. Skype’s broad base of early adopters are eager to embrace new features, with 79% interested or very interested in receiving calls from landlines, and 73% interested or very interested in adopting call forwarding, key innovations unique to Skype.
Early adopters… hmmm! And who carried this independent study?
3 comments so far
8:49 AM PT
I thought with Skype, PSTN will go the wayside of dinosaurs. Now I realize that I need it to forward my calls to. :-)
Do I have to buy ringtones? Or can I use my own music? The former is done by the “bellheads” in the cell phone industry and the latter is done by the “netheads” in the IM industry.
9:06 AM PT
i could not agree more with your aswath - the bellheads are not as bone headed as many would like you to believe. they do know one thing: how to make money
2:49 PM PT
Mybe Om, maybe not. They are good at trying to milk a captive audience (which is of course the monopoly/oligopoly model), but not so good at how to effectively add customers and services (competative model). I back up my statement by pointing to high churn and slow adoption of new services.
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