News & Background Information . . . on Skype video calls
and business services.
Microsoft Skype News and Information - May 2011
http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/skype
http://about.skype.com/press/2010/12/iphone_video_calls.html
- Skype iPhone video calling announced 2010-12-30. "Users can place
Skype video calls with their iPhone over both a 3G data connection* or WiFi.
The new Skype for iPhone app is compatible with the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS,
and iPod touch 4th generation with i0S 4.0 or above. Video receiving
capabilities are available on the iPod touch 3rd generation and iPad. Calls
can be made between devices using the new Skype for iPhone app and desktops
including Skype for Windows 4.2 and above, Skype for Mac 2.8 and above,
Skype for Linux and ASUS Videophone."
http://about.skype.com/press/2011/01/skype_mobile_video.html#more -
Skype on Verizon Wireless - announcement 2011-01-06 at CES "This new
version of Skype mobile from Verizon Wireless will be deeply integrated into
a wide range of 4G smartphones to be available by mid-2011. With front- and
rear-facing cameras, these Android-based 4G LTE smartphones will make it
simple for customers to make Skype-to-Skype video calls over Verizon
Wireless’ 4G LTE network.
Customers will be able to see and hear their friends and family when
making or receiving Skype-to-Skype video calls on Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE
network, the fastest and most advanced 4G network in the nation. The new
offer expands Skype’s video calling capabilities for millions and provides a
great video experience using the speed, low-latency and quality of Verizon
Wireless’ 4G LTE wireless network."
http://about.skype.com/press/ - Skype Press Room - the official press
releases - and archives organized by month
Direct
News
from Skype -
http://about.skype.com/
How many people are using Skype? -
see some stats at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype - a peak of 23 million - reported
2011/01/05
Press Release - 2010/10 - "With
its users making 6.4 billion minutes of calls to landlines and mobiles in
the first half of 2010, Skype is a leading global Internet communications
company. And of course, Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls are completely
free. In the first half of 2010, Skype users made 88.4 billion minutes of
Skype-to-Skype calls, and approximately 40% of these were video calls."
"We had 124 million average
monthly connected users for the three months ended June 30, 2010 and our
users placed 95 billion calling minutes over Skype in the first half of
2010, approximately 40% of which were video."
Skype was founded in 2003. It’s based in Luxembourg, with
offices in Europe, the US and Asia. It’s owned by an
investor group led by Silver Lake and which includes eBay
Inc, Joltid Limited and Skype founders Niklas Zennström and
Janus Friis, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and
Andreessen Horowitz.
Press Release
2010 - Responsible for 8% of global
international calling minutes, and with its users making 3.1
billion minutes of calls to landlines and mobiles in the
third quarter of 2009, Skype is a leading global internet
communications company. And of course, Skype-to-Skype voice
and video calls are completely free. In the third quarter of
2009, Skype users made 27.7 billion minutes of
Skype-to-Skype calls, and over a third of these were video
calls.
International
calling
minutes is increasing. But the growth of traffic
over conventional carriers is slowing down
while VoIP, especially
Skype is picking up.
Here is the volume of
traffic handled by Skype in the past few
years
2007 : 21.9 billion minutes
2008 : 33.1 billion minutes (51% growth)
2009 : 54 billion minutes (63% growth)
In 2009, the volume of traffic on Skype was
13% of total international traffic (409 billion
minutes)
Some
tidbits of information about
Skype:
Volume of
free Skype-to-Skype talk time in 2008 : 65.5
billion minutes (43.4 billion in 2007)
Volume of
Paid International traffic in 2008 : 4.2
billion minutes
Volume of
paid Computer-to-telephone traffic in 2008 :
8.4 billion minutes (5.6 billion in 2007)
Volume of
international traffic in free
computer-to-computer operation for 2008 : 33
billion minutes (22 billion in 2007)
Skype
market share
of international voice minutes : 8%
Mobile data traffic has been growing strong
thanks to increased use of ‘over the top’
applications like
YouTube and
Skype. For instance, YouTube contributes to
32% of all mobile streaming bandwidth and 10% of
all mobile bandwidth, while Skype has
contributed to 77% of all
VoIP bandwidth.
Here is how the different applications have
grown in the second half of 2009
HTTP streaming : 99%
HTTP download : 73%
HTTP browsing : 57%
VoIP and IM : 47%
P2P : 39%"
http://techcrunchies.com/?s=skype+international
Skype was recently sold/spun off by eBay Inc.(eBay. eBay retains a 30% interest in the buying company.
More from Reuters »
From EBAY INC - FORM 10-K - February 17, 2010
"Communications
Our Communications
segment was comprised of Skype. Skype is a global Internet
communications company that offers a way for people in almost every
country around the world to stay in touch over the Internet through free
voice and video calls, sending instant messages, SMS (text messaging) or
files, and by making low-cost calls to landline and mobile numbers.
Skype primarily generated revenue through fees charged to users to
connect Skype’s Internet communications products to traditional
fixed-line and mobile telephones (which we refer to as SkypeOut
minutes).
On November 19,
2009, we completed the sale of Skype to an entity (“Buyer”) owned and
organized by an investor group. We received approximately $1.9 billion
in cash, a subordinated note issued by a subsidiary of the Buyer in the
principal amount of $125.0 million and an equity stake of approximately
30% of the outstanding capital stock of the Buyer. Skype was
consolidated with our results of operations through November 19, 2009
(the date that the sale of Skype was competed), and after that date, is
no longer consolidated with our results of operations. Our
noncontrolling ownership interest in the Buyer is accounted for as an
equity investment. For additional details related to the sale of Skype,
please see “Note 4 – Sale of Skype” to the consolidated financial
statements included in this report."
Read more:
http://www.faqs.org/sec-filings/100217/EBAY-INC_10-K/#ixzz0koHH0Jj4
