eBay Buys Skype
We all heard the rumors, now they have announced it. eBay is going to buy Skype for something like $4 Billion. Is this a good thing? I'm not sure. As long as eBay keeps Skype as good and free as it is now, I'll be fine. The second they put as much as a tiny text ad, I'm going to Gizmo.
This is another example of what can happen when a company decides to release their product close-sourced. If Skype had been open, it could have been even better than it is now and we would never have to worry about big companies like eBay.
(oh, and by the way, three different queries are on Technorati's top ten right now about eBay and Skype)
Oh well, hopefully eBay won't screw Skype over.
This is another example of what can happen when a company decides to release their product close-sourced. If Skype had been open, it could have been even better than it is now and we would never have to worry about big companies like eBay.
(oh, and by the way, three different queries are on Technorati's top ten right now about eBay and Skype)
Oh well, hopefully eBay won't screw Skype over.
Written by Justin @ 9/12/2005 04:38:00 PM | Permalink
4 Comments:
At 9/13/2005 02:17:00 PM,
Jon said…
What's the connection between Skype being non-free and eBay buying them out?
Confused...
At 9/13/2005 02:43:00 PM,
Justin said…
I mean if Skype was an open protocal (like SIP), then eBay wouldn't have a reason to buy them. They could just have their own Skype server.
At 9/13/2005 03:07:00 PM,
Jon said…
Hmm..I don't think that follows. I'm not a VoIP or Skype expert by any means, but I see this totally differently. I don't see how this has anything to do with Skype's license.
SIP is a protocol developed by an IETF working group. It's not owned by anyone - it was developed specifically so developers had some common ground to code voice (and other) applications around.
Further, SIP is the 'Session Initiation Protocol' and only deals with the signalling part of the call: things like giving a dial-tone, ring-back tone, etc. It doesn't have much to do with the conduct of the actual call itself.
The actual call is usually conducted via RTP packets. Again, RTP is a protocol developed by the IETF and again open for everyone to use.
I don't think that Skype uses any technology that isn't available to anyone else. I think their real value is in the network they've set up that delivers that wicked call quality that Skype is reknowned for.
I think that eBay could have very easily developed a VoIP network just like Skype's, but they would have had to buy all the equipment, deploy it, hire people to manage it, and get customers.
Buying Skype allowed them to bypass almost all of that and just leap into an already existing business.
I don't think it has much to do with the Skype application itself.
At 9/13/2005 03:19:00 PM,
Justin said…
Whatever.
I think I need more sleep :)
Post a Comment
<< Home