Muhil's Cup of Tea

With the introduction of peer-to-peer music file networks many new inventions started spurring out of these developed modules. KaZaA creators Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis began to think of a way to allow people to make telephone-less calls to other people for free. After many months of modeling, they both introduced the program “Skype” to the general public.

Skype - The Handless Phone:

First introduced to the public in 2003, Skype is a software program that allows users to make telephone calls over the internet to other Skype users for free.^[1] There is no service charge fee as long as both users are part of Skype (the time limit for speaking is also unlimited). Skype can be connected to a landline or a cell phone however there is a charge fee. ^[1] Skype not only comes with phone services but also includes the following: file transfer, instant messaging, short message service, the ability to dodge firewalls (meaning that it will reach any computer that it tries to connect to and will not be blocked off by firewalls) and video conferencing. A Skype user can easily talk to another person while both of them can edit a document on the computer together. Both users can view the same document and see the changes that are made to it instantaneously.

An Introduction Video: "How to download & use Skype"

With the introduction of Skype to the main stream public, many people began to use the software and spread the news of this marvelous program. In the year 2005, eBay obtained Skype from Zennström and Friis and established headquarters in Luxembourg. Over the course of a few years, Skype has successfully grown in popularity with its users rising from 95 million accounts in 2006 all the way to 245.7 million accounts in 2007. ^[1]

Interview with Kathryn Fuller:

When did you first discover Skype?

"Earlier this year [referring to 2007]." Even though I started using it only this past year, it's already started to immensely develop with updates. When I began using it I was mainly familiar with the phone capabilities and instant messaging for the program. “Now you can play various games with people through Skype; you can use the video camera and also edit the documents through the computer.” It seems that Skype can only keep expanding as more and more people start using it.

What part about Skype enticed you?

“I think the main benefit that Skype projects to the public is the cost benefits.” People are drawn towards the most cost benefiting products and when something is completely free, users flood to the source. Skype also displays a very user friendly interface where “all the navigation tools are extremely self explanatory.” Overall the program is very handy and provides a great service to the general public.

Do you think Skype will grow as the years come?

“Of course.” It’s already expanding as it is now and there are still many people who don’t know about it since it has not been advertised widely. “Once people start finding out about the program through networks, the population of Skype users will grow exponentially [and Skype might even produce a larger revolution than social network programs such as Facebook, MySpace, and Live Journal].” Skype is appealing to all users of any age and can be used by anyone in the world.

If Skype monopolized the entire phone industry do you think people would mind?

“No. I doubt people would mind since is it is beneficial to them; phone companies might cause conflicts though.” Skype can virtually take over all telephone systems throughout the world with free phone service as long as there are no conflicts with phone companies. A possible compromise: phone companies and Skype merge into a single unit.

Why do you still use Skype?

“It's convenient and it's free (for long distance and international) and the signal is always clear because it's through the internet.”

On a weekly basis, how many times do you use Skype?

“At least twice a day. It’s extremely easy to access and I use it more than a landline phone."

A Timeline of Inventions:

[from the genius creators Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis]

KaZaA --> Skype --> Joost

(Music --> Telephone --> TV shows)

Future developments from the Geniuses:

With never ending creations, both Zennström and Friis have currently created a new software program called “Joost” which is a “system for distributing TV shows and other forms of video over the Web using peer-to-peer TV technology.”^[2] It has been opened to the public on October 1, 2007 and can be used by anyone. Moving from peer-to-peer music file sharing to free phone services and then to peer-to-peer TV sharing it is inevitable that the growth of peer-to-peer networking will continue to increase. We can only begin to guess what Zennström and Friis have in store for the future along with other software creators.

References:

1) http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/2005/08/04/whatisSkype.html

2) http://www.joost.com/support/faq/General-questions.html#Whats-Joost