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Microsoft to Launch "Skype Killer"

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the next-generation-battleground dept.

TheChillPill writes "Microsoft is due to announce the launch of a service to rival Skype following the acquision of VoIP provider Teleo. While a crude version of VoIP is already included in most Instant Messaging programs, Skype is currently the only provider to allow calls to landlines and cellphones. Microsoft intends to launch the service by the end of the year. "

25 of 294 comments (clear)

  1. Yeah whatever... by It+doesn't+come+easy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    In the old days, an announcement like this would have been an instant death blow to the competing company. I am happy to note these days it is a relative non-event. This is not to say Microsoft's entry into a market cannot have a significant impact. But gone are the good old days where Microsoft simply had to announce some vaporware to stop a competitor in their tracks. From that perspective, things are better today than they used to be.

    --
    The NSA: The only part of the US government that actually listens.
    1. Re:Yeah whatever... by wpiman · · Score: 3, Informative
      Skype is currently the only provider to allow calls to landlines and cellphones.

      DialPad allows users to make calls from their PC to landlines/cellphones.

    2. Re:Yeah whatever... by BackInIraq · · Score: 5, Funny

      In the old days, an announcement like this would have been an instant death blow to the competing company.

      Yeah, now it's only a death blow when Google does it. :)

    3. Re:Yeah whatever... by eMartin · · Score: 5, Interesting

      We'll see what happens when they include it with Vista and make it a default for VOIP or whatever.

    4. Re:Yeah whatever... by FireFury03 · · Score: 3, Informative

      but our copper lines are so outdated that most of the nation's DSL services, by definition, aren't fast enough to be considered 'broadband' (at least 3MBs, last time I checked but I could be wrong so please don't flame me).

      Technically, most modems above about 600bps are "broadband" (in the true, uncorrupted sense of the word). Marketting dweebs corrupted the technical meaning of the term and the ITU-T have now officially classified broadband speeds as anything greater than the speed of a PRI (1.5Mbps in the US, 2Mbps in Europe). That said, the advertising standards agency here in the UK has ignored all definitions of broadband in the past and gave NTL a bollocking for using the term "broadband" in reference to 128Kbps cable modems (which use broadband modulation). The advertising standards agency meanwhile think it's fine for everyone else to market 512Kbps DSL lines as "broadband" despite them nowhere near meeting the ITU-T criteria.

      barebones phone service only for the purpose of internet, and then use VoIP for actual calls.

      The problem is that BT's "bare bones" package isn't that bare-bones - it's still a reasonably pricey monthly charge and has "inclusive minutes", so once you're forced to pay that then VoIP isn't actually that cost effective. I guess if I had relatives abroad then it'd be cost effective to use a SIPPSTN gateway to call them, but then the UK VoIP gateways would still not be getting any of the market share because I'd be using a foreign gateway to get the best rate.

      --
      http://blog.nexusuk.org
    5. Re:Yeah whatever... by chrisd · · Score: 4, Interesting
      It is worth pointing out that we try hard not to talk about things -before- we launch them. It's pretty uncool to compete this way (imo)

      Chris

      --
      Co-Editor, Open Sources
      Open Source Program Manager, Google, Inc.
  2. why not wait? by spoonyfork · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Microsoft intends to launch the service by the end of the year.

    Why not wait until the end of the year to make an announcement when it will be news? Anything more than that is free advertising for something that doesn't exist. *sigh*

    --
    Speak truth to power.
  3. Landlines and cellphones by willm5 · · Score: 5, Informative
    "Skype is currently the only provider to allow calls to landlines and cellphones."

    Thats not entirely accurate. British Telecom have an add-on to Yahoo messenger that allows calls to landlines and cellphones.

    1. Re:Landlines and cellphones by mutende · · Score: 3, Informative

      Gizmo also lets you call landlines and mobiles.

      --
      Unselfish actions pay back better
  4. Review by millahtime · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Does anyone have any review info on Teleo? I would expect the service to be of simial quality to what Teleo did with a Microsoft look.

    --
    Evolution or ID?
  5. Wake me... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ... when it runs on Mac's and Linux boxes. Or, runs on anything other than soon-to-be-released-honest MS operating systems.

  6. Only Provider? by jmt(tm) · · Score: 5, Informative
    Skype is currently the only provider to allow calls to landlines and cellphones.

    Oh, really? What happened to all the H.323 and SIP based services? Did they all vanish?

  7. What about Gizmo by Arnar · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Skype is currently the only provider to allow calls to landlines and cellphones

    What about the Gizmo project, which I believe I first saw mentioned right here on /.

    Arnar

  8. Thinking like a geek by PhYrE2k2 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I am happy to note these days it is a relative non-event.


    You're thinking like a geek. $10 bucks says most people's mothers who use MSN already (like those that use Yahoo, ICQ, AOL, etc) will use the service that pops up and says "Would you like to make a voice call to 'Your son in Italy' for only $10/mo". Probably saying to themselves: "A monkey is asking for my credit card number... That seems fair."

    This is the world we live in. We talk about marketing being just FUD, but it's really not. People buy whatever people sell. I've seen funny stuff on infomercials that people obviously buy (a vacuum that sucks up your hair and cuts it with a blade inside the vacuum attachment- this was in the 'cut your hair at home' stage of the late 80's).

    People will buy what seems reasonable and what you tell them to buy. Ask any marketing student. 99% of the market is uneducated as to what Skype is. Vonage has only made such headway through significant marketing, which M$ could outdo anyday... and who wouldn't switch to a M$ product that already runs their office, home, and play communications needs?

    M$ integrates an ad and the feature into MSN Messenger, and they'll instantly have a LOT of people. No having to download additional software, no setup, no confusing additional software that may or may not hurt your computer... just works.

    -M
    --

    when you see the word 'Linux', drink!
    1. Re:Thinking like a geek by It+doesn't+come+easy · · Score: 5, Interesting

      True. Microsoft has the brand advantage and the built-in market reach via Windows. However, this is not to say that Skype is out of the picture without recourse, which is my point. While Microsoft is not very innovative (in the sense of coming up with brand new ideas), they are very good at copying and improving. Skype has to compete or they will disappear. In the old days, however, they would not have stood a chance. Today, they can remain a competitor if they earn that right. And clueless consumers (e.g. you and me) may end up with better technology because of real competition instead of being forced to take whatever Microsoft chose to market.

      --
      The NSA: The only part of the US government that actually listens.
    2. Re:Thinking like a geek by MrWiggum · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I think you are both thinking like geeks. I am intersted in getting vonage and I think it is a really cool technology. But my mom just thinks vonage is a company with funny ads selling phone service, she doesn't know what VOiP is and doesn't care. I would feel safe in saying that most non-geeks don't know, don't care, and probably won't drop thier pots line for some time (a couple of years or more.)

  9. Best strategy for Skype by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I hope Skype doesn't make the same mistake as every other company that tried to beat Microsoft at their own game. The best strategy for skype in a battle like this is play by their own rules. Specifically, they should completely open their protocol. If they try to pit one proprietary solution against a Microsoft proprietary solution, they will lose.

  10. Re:one more thing. by CaymanIslandCarpedie · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I agree Skype is going to be around (I use it and love it), but I think they really need to think about becoming SIP compliant. My biggest grip about Skype is I cannot call friends who use other VOIP clients, but those same friends who use different clients can still call each other because other services are SIP compliant.

    Will MS's product be SIP (standards based)? The Teleo beta products was, so I'd assume so but I haven't heard anything for sure and with MS you never really know.

    --
    "reality has a well-known liberal bias" - Steven Colbert
  11. Microphone? by PhilHibbs · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can't believe no-one's suggested this yet. Maybe because it's a really weak joke.

  12. voipbuster and others by higuita · · Score: 3, Informative

    skype isnt the only one, at least one more major program can do it also:

    voipbuster also allow net2phone connections (and even free for some european countries!!)

    there is also a manual to work with linux

    but there are more, at least around here (portugal/europe) http://voip.necty.com/ its also testing a voip to phone and it use kaix as its oficial client (so both windows and linux works fine)

    --
    Higuita
  13. check your facts! by mwilliamson · · Score: 3, Informative
    This is wrong.

    "Skype is currently the only provider to allow calls to landlines and cellphones."

    I currently call landlines on stanaphone (via both softphone and hardware-based SIP), iconnecthere (both softphone and hardware-based), and packet 8 (hardware based). Skype is certainly not the only one allowing calls to the PSTN, and they're certainly not the most flexible.

  14. Re:that old microsoft technology??? by tpgp · · Score: 4, Interesting

    windows 98 *snip* had a built in feature to place calls through your modem line, *snip* to be able to make long distance calls.....this was rectified in the second edition of windows 98.... *snip* call my friends in new york from canada for free

    Windows 98 did not contain some magic software to allow you to call your friends for free.

    I'm not sure what you're describing - but I suspect you dialed New York at standard intl rates & the company you worked for footed the bill.

    --
    My pics.
  15. It brings back memories by re-Verse · · Score: 4, Funny

    This brings me back to when Microsoft decided that search engines were cool and launched their search engine/Google killer.

    I wonder what ever happened to that Google company after that.

  16. Microsoft seems to suffer from institutional ADD by lxs · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Over the last year MS introduced/announced:

    A 'google search killer'
    An 'ipod killer'
    A 'bittorrent killer'

    A load of X killers that I can't be bothered to remember

    now a Skype killer

    How about, well I don't know, eh, ACTUALLY MAKING A DECENT OS THAT'S FINISHED ON TIME?

    I guess that's asking too much.

    Come on MS finish what you start before you do something else.
    we NEED a slower operating system on our computers. It's the only thing that will lead to faster processors.

    /me puts on tinfoil hat

    Or do you think it's a mere coincidence that since the introduction of WinXP and the long wait for it's successor, processor speed suddenly stopped doubling every 18 months?

  17. Re:one more thing. by aminorex · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Skype does not use SIP becaue SIP *SUCKS*. Its NAT and firewall behaviour is atrocious. Forget SIP. Any client using SIP is almost useless in the real world. SIP is what has prevented VOIP from taking off as it should have for the past 10 years. It's a bad protocol design. Dynamic server port numbers is StuPId.

    Skype is good because it JUST WORKS. Skype should add a SIP bridge, though, to leverage the SIP installed base, like they leverage the POTS installed base.

    Now if Skype switched to the IAX2 protocol used by Asterisk, that would rock. But NO SIP PLEASE.

    --
    -I like my women like I like my tea: green-