Comments on: Is Skype Neglecting Its Developers?

By: Skype Kills Extras (and Its Developer Ecosystem). | GAby Menta

Skype Kills Extras (and Its Developer Ecosystem). | GAby Menta — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:40:41 +0000

[...] know how to leverage that platform. Why? Because it doesn’t understand developers. It never has. We have consistently pointed out this lackadaisical attitude towards its developer ecosystem. The fact is that if you put your lot with Skype, then you are really on [...]

By: Skype Kills Extras. Perhaps it’s Developer Ecosystem

Skype Kills Extras. Perhaps it’s Developer Ecosystem — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:28:54 +0000

[...] how to leverage that platform. Why? Because it doesn’t understand developers. It never did. We have consistently pointed out this lackadaisical attitude towards its developer ecosystem. The fact is, that if you put your lot with Skype, then you are really on [...]

By: VoIP Startup EQO Slashes Workforce by 65%* [GigaOM - Start-Up News] | Internet Startups

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:14:41 +0000

[...] because competitor iSkoot was better funded and had a better execution strategy. In August 2006, EQO got into a bit of a tiff with Skype. The company then refocused on social networks but it seems even that strategy didn’t go [...]

By: VoIP Startup EQO Slashes Workforce by 65%* - GigaOM

VoIP Startup EQO Slashes Workforce by 65%* - GigaOM — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:46:50 +0000

By: jccodez

jccodez — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 21:56:58 +0000

open is a relative term…just exactly what do you want to do that skype does not let you do…the channel stream is wide open…however, i wish they would give the access to the avitar for users…compared to the plugin interface to yahoo, the non-existant msn channel streaming that microsoft refuses to open up, I would say in regards to peer 2 peer streaming over a channel, skype is wide open…there really no limitations to what can be sent accross the channel. I would like , as mentioned , some more access to things like avatar , for user experience. but as a whole, they are doing way way more that their competitors at opening up their "channels".

By: Alex Kazim

Alex Kazim — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 17:44:22 +0000

So as painful as it is for me the read this feedback, I can't disagree with some of the comments. Our API and Software Developer's Program is still in the early stages, and we're working hard to improve it as we grow.

It was tough to lose Lenn to eBay corporate, but at the same time, I'm excited to see some Skype DNA heading into eBay Inc. We've just hired his replacement, Paul Amery, who recently ran the developer program at Symbian.

At any rate: stay tuned. We'll get better at this.

Alex

By: Dusty Reed

Dusty Reed — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 17:44:11 +0000

Skype was great, till the UAE and China blocked it. Sure would be nice if they fixed that little problem. Working in the UAE and having to pay expensive phone bills sucks. Now my kids call me on skype…

By: Bill Tam

Bill Tam — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 04:51:44 +0000

Hey Katie - I wanted to add some context to our discussion. As I said to Alec Saunders, there's an evolutionary process to all developer programs. Skype's done a great job in supporting an API that allows third parties like EQO to build apps on top of. It continues to get better. Since the beginning, we've enjoyed a great relationship with Skype and their support has made us the top mobile app in their developer zone. Like any ecosystem build out, there's room for multiple partnerships and Skype will continue to be an integral part of our program for extending online communities to mobile phones.

By: Garrett Smith

Garrett Smith — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 04:20:26 +0000

As Kendall remarked below, the major problem with their developer program is their API is not open, and Skype as a company is not an open company. In my experience they are extremely tip lipped about anything and everything they are doing.

Regardless of whether they "steal" or not, their developer community will never get better and stand out until they open up to the community allowing the necessary information and ideas to flow in order to drive innovation.

By: erik

erik — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 01:57:39 +0000

I think you're seeing here what we see all the time from Skypes parent company eBay. We've been developing for them for 5 years now, and time-and-again we see them take our (or other third-party devs) ideas. It's very very tiring and annoying.

What I think you're seeing in Skype is just what has always happened at the parent company. Hopefully they come to realize how great of an asset they have in their third-party partners before they leave.

By: christian

christian — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 22:48:42 +0000

Going out to the press and whining about Skype not being "fair" to their developer partners is not a great PR strategy. Like it or not, folks, Skype is bigger than most of the rest of the consumer VoIP market COMBINED. Maybe they're disfunctional, maybe not. Who wouldn't be after a multibillion dollar exit??

Comparing the eqo web site and the iskoot web site it appears pretty obvious why Skype played favorites there. Eqo is lame! eqo requires you to have a PC up and running and installs all kinds of goofy plugins, iSkoot is a network service that just requires a little applet on your phone. if I'm @ Skype I'm going to certify tools that work properly.

AIM and MSN and YAHOO don't have great developer programs but they've been hacked and are essentially open.

The best thing that can happen for the Skype network is for someone to hack it open, though this wouldn't be (short-term) so good for Skype the company.

By: jccodez

jccodez — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 21:09:10 +0000

msn does allow allow streaming, if you are approved by microsoft to do that…it is not something they just "open up".

By: jccodez

jccodez — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 21:08:05 +0000

Great stuff…I am currently developing a skype hook to our application that turns it into a communications platform…am I making a mistake? I could easily do a google talk/jingle hook instead…The problem here is msn does not allow app2app streaming like skype…skype is ahead of the curve in app2app streaming and it works well. googol does have p2p via jingle, but their userbase is very small compared to skype…if it grows, which it will eventually, they would be a better target…but googol would do the same damn thing…microsoft has done this for years…zip, they now natively handle, video, graphics , you name it…

By: Convergence.In

Convergence.In — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 20:11:57 +0000

Were their any chairs around LOL ? Is eBay now all about "advertisers, advertisers, advertisers" ? adContext baby!!!

By: Kendall

Kendall — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 19:45:48 +0000

Skype achilles heel will be its closed proprietary protocol, its crappy closed API with close to nothing functions (I hope SIPphone leanrs and opens their own API to allow SIP calls to other domains). Theirdriect competition with their developer community is nauseating and please why does every one have to skype runing in order to use the API.

They need to get a good skype to sip bridge cos SIP is the way to go.

By: SomeDrunkGuy

SomeDrunkGuy — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 16:31:29 +0000

Can you stop with the caps?

Please?