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Skype 2.5
May 2, 2006
Skype just released the new addition of its software. As part of the new software enhancements, registration is simplified for new Skype customers, and dialing traditional phone numbers is more intuitive, making calls to landlines or cell phones anywhere in the world, easy and affordable. Features such as improved conference calling offer better voice quality.
Simple prompts while Skyping allow users to adjust how they manage their internet connection to ensure they have the best possible call quality. Other new functionality includes built-in, localized payment options, in over 15 currencies.
Here are some more details:
• Easy Dialing – instead of having to remember specific country codes, easily call landlines or cell phones worldwide by selecting the country of choice from a dropdown menu.
• Payments in Skype – payment is now built into the Skype software, making it simpler to buy Skype credit, SkypeOut minutes, ringtones from artists like Madonna and more.
• Send Short Message Service (SMS) Messages – send a one-way SMS message to any mobile phone number in the world by selecting a SkypeOut contact, entering a mobile phone number or selecting a Skype contact’s mobile phone number in their profile.
• View Outlook Contacts – quickly view Outlook contacts in Skype and call directly using SkypeOut, a call from Skype to traditional landlines or cell phones.
• Improved Conference Calling – instantly see who is talking on a conference call as the participant’s picture flashes when they begin to speak.
• Shared Contact Groups – easily share contacts with friends and family and help them connect with other people; bring groups together with just one click of a button to start a group chat or conference call.
• Simplified Registration – create Skype accounts in one simple step.
• Automatic Updates – receive an automatic prompt to download the latest Skype software any time the product is upgraded.
• Call Quality Management – lets users adjust and manage their computer environment and internet connection to ensure they have the best possible call quality.
Skype Certified Hardware
In addition to the introduction of Skype 2.5 beta, leading hardware vendors have announced the following Skype Certified products which extend and add value to the Skype experience:
• Available from May 2006 in Europe and July in the rest of the world, the Phillips VOIP321 cordless dual phone enables free Skype calls, as well as ordinary landline calls – for maximum consumer freedom and the ability to switch seamlessly between both communications mediums.
• Creative is offering the Creative Voice Webcam, a revolutionary new webcam with wide angle and video image enhancement which will be available worldwide from May 2006.
• Polycom and Skype this week announced the Polycom Communicator™, a USB speakerphone that leverages Polycom’s Acoustic Clarity Technology™ to deliver high-fidelity two-way voice communication for Skype conversations, without echoes or feedback.
In addition the software will have something called Skypecasts which are the voice communities concept I have been talking about for moth. Up to 100 people can communicate at one time on any topic. A host can take control of the call and can mute or eject people as the see fit.
Here is the really cool stuff:
Bloggers can schedule Skypecasts and link to them from their sites, so visitors using Skype can click to join discussions instantly, without leaving the blog site.
Skypecasts can be promoted on any website using simple HTML snippets. All live Skypecasts are available in preview form at skypecasts.skype.com.
Simple prompts while Skyping allow users to adjust how they manage their internet connection to ensure they have the best possible call quality. Other new functionality includes built-in, localized payment options, in over 15 currencies.
Here are some more details:
• Easy Dialing – instead of having to remember specific country codes, easily call landlines or cell phones worldwide by selecting the country of choice from a dropdown menu.
• Payments in Skype – payment is now built into the Skype software, making it simpler to buy Skype credit, SkypeOut minutes, ringtones from artists like Madonna and more.
• Send Short Message Service (SMS) Messages – send a one-way SMS message to any mobile phone number in the world by selecting a SkypeOut contact, entering a mobile phone number or selecting a Skype contact’s mobile phone number in their profile.
• View Outlook Contacts – quickly view Outlook contacts in Skype and call directly using SkypeOut, a call from Skype to traditional landlines or cell phones.
• Improved Conference Calling – instantly see who is talking on a conference call as the participant’s picture flashes when they begin to speak.
• Shared Contact Groups – easily share contacts with friends and family and help them connect with other people; bring groups together with just one click of a button to start a group chat or conference call.
• Simplified Registration – create Skype accounts in one simple step.
• Automatic Updates – receive an automatic prompt to download the latest Skype software any time the product is upgraded.
• Call Quality Management – lets users adjust and manage their computer environment and internet connection to ensure they have the best possible call quality.
Skype Certified Hardware
In addition to the introduction of Skype 2.5 beta, leading hardware vendors have announced the following Skype Certified products which extend and add value to the Skype experience:
• Available from May 2006 in Europe and July in the rest of the world, the Phillips VOIP321 cordless dual phone enables free Skype calls, as well as ordinary landline calls – for maximum consumer freedom and the ability to switch seamlessly between both communications mediums.
• Creative is offering the Creative Voice Webcam, a revolutionary new webcam with wide angle and video image enhancement which will be available worldwide from May 2006.
• Polycom and Skype this week announced the Polycom Communicator™, a USB speakerphone that leverages Polycom’s Acoustic Clarity Technology™ to deliver high-fidelity two-way voice communication for Skype conversations, without echoes or feedback.
In addition the software will have something called Skypecasts which are the voice communities concept I have been talking about for moth. Up to 100 people can communicate at one time on any topic. A host can take control of the call and can mute or eject people as the see fit.
Here is the really cool stuff:
Bloggers can schedule Skypecasts and link to them from their sites, so visitors using Skype can click to join discussions instantly, without leaving the blog site.
Skypecasts can be promoted on any website using simple HTML snippets. All live Skypecasts are available in preview form at skypecasts.skype.com.
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Asia Telecom M&A
May 2, 2006
I while back I wrote about the M&A market in telecom and I didn't factor in the Asian players into my analysis. So in order to be balanced, I decided to get a perspective from someone who is intimately involved in the telecom market and who works for UT Starcom, a major Chinese telecom equipment provider. Farshid Mohammadi is a VoIP and IMS industry icon and couldn't be better positioned to tell us where the Chinese/Asian telecom players fit into the overall mix.Here are his comments:
An interesting phenomena is happening. The Asian vendors who have been the beneficiary of more cost effective labor and manufacturing are finding that to succeed in international markets in any significant way, they would have to staff up in their beachhead markets. On the other hand, the traditional NA/European vendors have started manufacturing and R&D in countries that provide them advantageous cost base.
The net result is that in a few years, time the market will arrive at a level "cost" playing field. Add to this the fact that technology differentiation and gaps are quickly closed and compensated for given most players have the same level of R&D investment and direction.
Bottom line will be customer support and being able to build one's organization in the vertical value chain of service providers. To do this, one needs scale and scope.
Thus there is no choice but to see additional consolidation whereby one either strengthens its scale via the acquired R&D or scope by acquiring a strong local incumbency presence. No one will be immune to this phenomena regardless of geography.
Given this opinion which I agree with, one wonders if the Chinese players will be the acquirers or the acquired. Either way, it seems that major telecom players have to become more international like Lucent/Avaya with a strong presence in many markets simultaneously.
There is no question there will be more layoffs as these acquisitions take place. The good news is that for the people that can adapt they will b able to compete in the telecom market with new ideas based on software and services. VoIP, SIP and IMS will allow this trend to continue.
So the net result will be more large players and a new breed up upstarts. This will hold true as long as the market keeps growing and as long as developers come up with ideas that fill a market need. Remember that when Skype was being created the telecom market was in a state of depression. The Internet allowed Skype to be distributed rapidly and I expect IMS networks to also allow applications to be instantly accessible to legions of potential users.
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Joe Sanscrainte
May 2, 2006
For companies who have call centers and were in any way affected by the do not call list, you may be familiar with a company called Call Compliance and its former general counsel and director of regulatory affairs, Joe Sanscrainte. Joe is one of the true thought leaders in the do not call regulatory market.
Joe has now joined international law firm Bryan Cave LLP in its New York office and should be a tremendous asset. Aside from do not call, Joe is also expert in the inbound side of the call center business and is intimately familiar with the potentially new legislation that will affect call centers. For example there is talk that politicians will force call centers to connect callers to a live agent if they press one. Or they will be forced to have an American operator if the caller requests one. In additional they may be forced to answer the phone with a live agent after a certain amount of time.
If you are affected by any of these issues and want to learn more, contact Joe.
In addition Joe believes privacy is an exciting new field and will focus on this area as well. As you may be aware there has been an increasing amount of data theft and as this grows, Joe feels he can aid companies from a legal perspective.
I asked Joe for comments on what he will be doing and this is what he had to say:
1. I will be continuing as the Chief Editor of the online teleservices Regulatory Guide
2. I will be providing my expertise to companies wishing to have teleservices "compliance reviews"
3. I will be working with existing Bryan Cave clients that engage in inbound/outbound teleservices to fine-tune their existing policies and procedures
4. I will be offering my services, as well as the extensive experience of my colleagues, such as Jeff Modisett (former Attorney General for Indiana), Jodie Bernstein (former director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the FTC), Dana Rosenfeld (assistant director under Jodie Bernstein), to help any company that finds itself on the FTC/FCC's enforcement radar screen
5. I will be expanding my business expertise to work within the wider field of privacy, including advising clients about their responsibilities regarding data security, data destruction, and notification to consumers in the event of security breaches.
Speaking for the call center market, I wish Joe the best of luck in his new position.
Joe has now joined international law firm Bryan Cave LLP in its New York office and should be a tremendous asset. Aside from do not call, Joe is also expert in the inbound side of the call center business and is intimately familiar with the potentially new legislation that will affect call centers. For example there is talk that politicians will force call centers to connect callers to a live agent if they press one. Or they will be forced to have an American operator if the caller requests one. In additional they may be forced to answer the phone with a live agent after a certain amount of time.
If you are affected by any of these issues and want to learn more, contact Joe.
In addition Joe believes privacy is an exciting new field and will focus on this area as well. As you may be aware there has been an increasing amount of data theft and as this grows, Joe feels he can aid companies from a legal perspective.
I asked Joe for comments on what he will be doing and this is what he had to say:
1. I will be continuing as the Chief Editor of the online teleservices Regulatory Guide
2. I will be providing my expertise to companies wishing to have teleservices "compliance reviews"
3. I will be working with existing Bryan Cave clients that engage in inbound/outbound teleservices to fine-tune their existing policies and procedures
4. I will be offering my services, as well as the extensive experience of my colleagues, such as Jeff Modisett (former Attorney General for Indiana), Jodie Bernstein (former director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the FTC), Dana Rosenfeld (assistant director under Jodie Bernstein), to help any company that finds itself on the FTC/FCC's enforcement radar screen
5. I will be expanding my business expertise to work within the wider field of privacy, including advising clients about their responsibilities regarding data security, data destruction, and notification to consumers in the event of security breaches.
Speaking for the call center market, I wish Joe the best of luck in his new position.
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One Night in Alexandria
May 2, 2006
I went to an Avaya media/analyst reception last night which was held at The miX Lounge in THEHotel, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. As one of the people at the party said it, "We have to thank Avaya because they normally wouldn't let people as old as us in here."It was really a nice bar/lounge and there were some amazing appetizers. I decided to stay on east coast time so I had dinner before the reception which meant I had no room for the appetizers that looked amazing. I did have one truffle appetizer and some champagne but other than that primarily imbibed H2O.
I had a chance to talk with Avaya CEO Don Peterson who was telling me a bit about their new announcement focusing on the hosted market. I asked if they see themselves competing with Covad and Don said it is more a proof of concept than a business direction. He went on to say he would like to see others host the service.
He said something to the effect of -- this is a way for Avaya to keep a foot in the hosted market in case it becomes huge.
I am at the Luxor hotel where the elevators are actually inclinators which means they go sideways while they go up. They traverse the side of the pyramid. It takes some getting used to and if you go into one of these looking for coffee (there are no coffee makers in the room at the Luxor) you may fall over if you aren't paying attention because you are checking e-mail on your phone. Of course this is just an assumption -- this certainly doesn't describe my morning :-) .
That reminds me -- I better get some ice for this bump on my head.
Last night when I got back to my room, I noticed someone had stolen my do not disturb sign. Perhaps it has some value at the craps table -- I am not sure but will look into it.
I wanted to get up early today -- 4:00 am but as it turns out I couldn't sleep to well because the pillows were either too high or low. I couldn't get the right combination. I thought of waking up and calling housekeeping but wasn't sure what to ask for. Can you request a pillow assortment of various thicknesses? Probably not. Besides last night many of the Vegas workers were on strike.I am still not sure why people were on strike yesterday. I saw something briefly on the news last night as well as some gatherings here in the city. The news featured people carrying flags from around the world at the rally but then when they were interviewed they said they want to be Americans. I would imagine if you want to be an American, you should start by carrying around an American flag when you rally. That is a strong first step.
The strike did make one thing clear to me however... How great our country is. In what other country can so many people who have committed a crime by entering the country illegally proudly protest? I was amazed.
I am not sure how I got off on this tangent but the sun is coming up and it is absolutely stunning. Well, gotta go. Busy day today.
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