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  • alex 21:18 on May 18, 2011 Permalink |
    Tags: , mondaytask3   

    Recently Microsoft closed the deal on the Skype… 

    Recently Microsoft closed the deal on the Skype purchase. This was quite a shock for most people because it is not everyday a huge company like Microsoft buys a new provision with 8.5 billion dollars. Many analysts think that Microsoft overpaid Skype due to the fact that other companies like Facebook, Google and so on were prepared to pay 2.5 times less for it. There a lot of ups and downs to this purchase, in this essay I will try to cover the biggest ones.

    The biggest obstacle or problem that Microsoft is going to have is with the carrier providers. This is due to the fact that Microsoft wants to integrate Skype into all phones supporting the Windows mobile platform. Since Skype is used to make free calls over the internet or low-cost telephone calls then Carriers see this as a possible threat to their revenues. But then again the integration of Skype with Nokia could lead to extremely beneficial results. If both of them agree on a suitable price for the services for both the supplier and the user then they will stand out as two major winners. Of course with all the other carrier companies it is all a matter of negotiation. Bill Gates also said that they have no intention of jeopardizing relations with mobile companies.

    Microsoft actually bought this company because it did not want it to wind up in the clutches of its competitors. Better to own it for themselves. If to look at this topic from this angle then it would seem to be a completely worthless purchase because Microsoft has similar products like Lync and Windows Live Messenger. But actually Skype gives them another vital aspect which is the profitable telephone service. This is the main element that makes Skype stand out of Microsoft’s products. On the other hand Microsoft could have made the same technology work for them at a far lower cost but this is where the competition comes in. It is always necessary to think only about yourself if a company wants to survive.

    Another bug issue for Microsoft is that with buying Skype all of the problems come along with it. Before the applying of improvement s can begin the old problems need to be fixed. At the moment the biggest problems are first of all interface annoyances. This meaning that there are very many scammers on the network who drive regular users mad with the constant friendship requests. So the privacy or security settings have to be overlooked. Secondly the competition nowadays is quite fierce. A while back Skype had the advantage to outshine everyone with its calling and video-conferencing capabilities but not anymore. Now Google’s Talk, ooVoo and others have the same technology and are striving to beat Skype. Luckily Microsoft is a Facebook investor so this also gives a good opportunity for the integration of Skype into Facebook and for it to excel some more. Thirdly Skype is full of spam which is mostly presented in ads. It is almost impossible to get rid of those and usually a serious headache for most users.

    All in all it is difficult to say whether the Skype deal was a good one or not. It is certain that this new purchase has potential for greatness but also requires a lot of work for it to succeed. Only time will tell whether it climbs to the top or comes crashing down.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/may/10/microsoft-skype-deal-shocks-analysts
    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/itslideshow/8241677.cms
    http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/05/microsoft-buys-skype-2/
    http://techcrunch.com/2011/05/10/microsoft-acquires-skype/
    http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/how-microsoft-skype-nokia-can-rule-cut-out-obscene-data-roaming-rates-abroad/48983?tag=content;search-results-rivers

     

    • Joel L 13:18 on May 19, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      “the profitable telephone service”?

      • alex 13:24 on May 19, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply

        Yes, Skype offers people the possibility to make calls to cellphones and regular telephones with a smaller fee than normal cellphone carriers ask.

        • Joel L 18:57 on May 19, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply

          yes, but it’s not like they’re making lots of money from that.

          • alex 19:34 on May 19, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply

            Yes because it has not been brought up to its full potential. But it could be a good source of revenue

            • Joel L 18:14 on May 22, 2011 Permalink

              How is “we charge less money” a good business plan?

            • alex 19:54 on May 22, 2011 Permalink

              well the client is always searching for a provider with the smallest fee hence microsoft has a chance of getting other carriers clients away. Since carriers do not want that to happen then they will have to reach a compromise which will benefit both the carrier and microsoft. The first logical solution would be that the carriers give a percent of the profits to microsoft or something like that

            • Paavo Viilup 07:24 on May 23, 2011 Permalink

              The “percent of the profits” business is the best kind of business! Sort of like the mafia, they don’t sell meat, but they sure like the butcher to share his profits with them.

    • Paavo Viilup 06:40 on May 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      Skype is full of spam? Really? I haven’t used Skype for some months now, but I really do not remember any spam anywhere. In fact, I just launched Skype and did not see any spam. No ads even. Unlike MSN (Live as in not Undead or Dead) Messenger.

  • Sander 20:16 on May 18, 2011 Permalink |
    Tags: mondaytask3   

    Just recently Microsoft acquired Skype for a mythical… 

    Just recently, Microsoft acquired Skype for a mythical amount of money. Since then, the purchase has become a very hot topic. The opinions are, at best, mixed, with many tech sites calling it a pointless acquisition and a severe waste of company funds.  Among all the chaos, there have been some main valid points which the common user should keep in mind.
    Regardless of what experts say, there is one thing which is completely for sure. And that is the fact, that the common user will be affected in a significant way. Having control over Skype, Microsoft can make a huge variety of different moves from this position. Not the least of which, is expanding Skype. Skype support can, in theory, be added to most Microsoft platforms. Most notably the Xbox and Windows phone 7. In addition, Skype could easily be integrated with Microsoft’s current chat/messaging platform, Windows live. These two options seem most probable, because new functionality is constantly added to the Xbox and the service Xbox Live, as well as the Windows phone 7  operating system. A sort of “Mype” operating system is also a possibility.
    Aside from the practical implications, the business intrigue concerning the purchase is still rather hazy. Several blogs and experts have expressed their opinion on the topic.  Speculations about the reason for the purchase are very different. Some say, that it was a defensive move to secure Skype from being bought by Google or Facebook. Others think, that it was to secure a position in the VoIP war, where Android and Apple are already competing with Google voice and Facetime. What the sources agree upon, however, is that it was not the smartest of business decisions. Firstly, because Microsoft payed a lot more for Skype than it was actually worth. Secondly, Skype’s ability to bring a constant profit to make up for the  8.5 billion dollar price tag is doubtable. As such, it would seem that the purchase had a different reason, other than going directly for a profit.
    Taking all of the variables into account, the chance of seeing a “Mype” come along is actually probable. Due to the rather suspicious nature of the purchase,  Microsoft probably has concrete plan for using Skype. That is, integrating it with all of the different services that Microsoft provides, ranging from Xbox live to Windows live. That is just about the only way that Microsoft can come out with a profit.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13343600
    http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-pick/microsoft-buys-skype-20110510/
    http://gigaom.com/2011/05/09/why-microsoft-is-buying-skype-for-8-billion/
    http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/05/microsoft-buys-skype-2/
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/may/10/microsoft-buys-skype-biggest-gamble-yet
    http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2011/05/microsoft-confirms-85-bn-skype-purchase-clarifies-nothing.ars

     

    • Brent 20:36 on May 18, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      Yeah, ma ei saa enam sisse logida, ütleb et mu kasutaja on deletitud, so ma panen commentaarina oma töö;)

      Sky.net

      Microsoft bought Skype for 8,5 billion dollars. I guess the best way to describe this deal would be to just say: “Woah!”. 8,5 billion is no small cash to spend on a company which has been struggling to make a decent profit over the years and when compared to the Microsoft’s own Windows Live, has about half of the number of clients. Reading about the topic, one probably would like to ask Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft and the “champion” of the deal, was Skype really worth it.

      The pros of the deal. Reading various news and blog posts about the topic it seems that Skype will remain as it is: a great live chat provider for various platforms. As Microsoft has said on its official press release: “Microsoft will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms. “,. This certainly is good news for all the non-Microsoft Skype users and if to think logically, this is one of the benefits of Skype: Microsoft can actually get some profit from Apple (and Ubuntu) users. Skype will also be integrated to Microsoft’s various systems and communities like Xbox live, Outlook, Lync, Windows phone and Kinect. Knowing that Skype was a live chat oriented company, this deal will certainly grant Microsoft full access to its technology. Rumors have also said, that Facebook.com will be granted access to Skype technology to enhance its own chat. Knowing the fact that Microsoft is one of the investors in Facebook, maybe this is not so far from being true because of Google’s voice and Apple’s Facetime being developed, maybe this is just the clever tactic Microsoft is pulling to get back in the race, but this is only rumors and speculation.

      Though there are some various pros in the deal, I am quite certain this will not explain the humongous amount of money Microsoft payed for Skype, it is definitely too much. Microsoft with its own research and development teams, with some effort, could have surely managed to create a similar and well functioning system on their own and they would not have had to make it from nothing, they already have a good base called Windows Live. So the reasons, why such a high price, for me and many others do not seem valid enough and besides the pros, the deal has a feeling of “Showoff” in it, to just show the other software companies that Microsoft is willing and able to do bigger deals then they. This is supported by the fact that Google and Facebook were said to be interested in partnership with Skype, before the big deal.

      This deal was certainly surprising and there are a lot of different opinions on, was the deal in fact smart and well thought through. Though there are different opinions on how much Microsoft will benefit from it almost everyone agrees: the price was too high.

      Sauces:
      http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/05/microsoft-buys-skype-2/
      http://searchengineland.com/microsoft-buys-skype-for-8-5-billion-now-what-76452
      http://gigaom.com/2011/05/09/why-microsoft-is-buying-skype-for-8-billion/
      http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-pick/microsoft-buys-skype-20110510/
      http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2011/may11/05-10CorpNewsPR.mspx

      • Paavo Viilup 10:55 on May 19, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply

        What about the impact on the regular user? Also, while the rest of the essay is written in good semi-formal language, it starts off with “Woah”. Woah, really? Try to avoid this in the future.

    • Paavo Viilup 10:44 on May 19, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      I can’t really imagine an operating system based on Skype (Mype). Otherwise, very good, with some annoying language issues like the use of commas before “that”.

  • Taavi 17:50 on May 18, 2011 Permalink |
    Tags: mondaytask3   

    Microsoft Skype 

    “Skype was recently acquired by Microsoft. Discuss both the deal’s impact on the proverbial regular user and the reactions to the deal based on a selection of technology sites/blogs.”

    The recent purchase of Skype by Microsoft has created a panic among the users of Skype as they seem their free of charge communication possibilities might be under attack. This is however not the case as there will be no major changes to the regular user as this change of ownership is merely cosmetic. It is the same as with football clubs, if the owner changes then nothing changes with the club as the apparent side, the players on the field and the staff, is untouched. This is also true for Skype as it has reached its maximum potential properties as peer-to-peer communication software.

    Though this purchase might not affect Skype it might affect the mobile network providers and cell phone users. Firstly as Microsoft now owns Skype they are most likely to embed it into their Windows Phone 7 and working together with Nokia they might work out a solution that would use Skype to make cellular calls when Wi-Fi is available. This of course would mean cheaper call prices for the user but a necessity of using Skype.

    Another area where the change of ownership might have impact is the users of Windows 7 as it is likely that Microsoft is going to embed Skype in their next upgrade or even an update. This means that the 300 million users would have an icon of Skype on their desktop even if they do not want to use Skype. Also all the enterprise users will have Skype on their computers which would be a huge impact point of Microsoft if companies started using Skype as their regular VoIP service.

    So in general there will be no visible changes for the regular users but Skype will make its way into mobile phone industry and all of the available Windows systems. Meaning that the average user of Skype will get their application on Windows systems automatically, so their life will get easier.

    The reactions of the 8.5 billion dollar purchase asked a lot of questions. Why did Microsoft buy Skype? This is the question to bear in mind because there is no tangible reason for Microsoft to buy a company that was in dept and whose revenues are falling. Most of the technology sites brought out the fact that Microsoft bought Skype to keep away rivals like Facebook and Google. This is not entirely true as neither of the companies made real offers on Skype nor were they really interested in acquiring Skype. It is even better for Facebook that Microsoft has Skype as Microsoft is one of the shareholders of Facebook. So what is it that made the software giant buy the unprofitable company? The reason lies behind the intermingling with Microsoft’s other systems like the above discussed Windows and Windows Phone, but also the gaming platform Xbox and Xbox live, and last but not least the Office programs.

    The tech world is waiting for the embedding of Skype into Microsoft devices. The first one to get Skype will most probably be the Windows Phone as Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said: “Skype is a phenomenal service that is loved by millions of people around the world. Together we will create the future of real-time communications so people can easily stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues anywhere in the world.” So we will see the world where all people will use Skype wherever they are situated. So maybe just maybe thanks to Microsoft calling will be a history and Skyping will be the future.

    Soruces:
    http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-tech-how-skype-will-change-microsoft/20110517.htm
    http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2011/05/dont-expect-any-rapid-changes-to-skype-now-microsoft-owns-it/
    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-10/microsoft-said-to-be-negotiating-purchase-of-internet-call-provider-skype.html
    http://gigaom.com/2011/05/09/why-microsoft-is-buying-skype-for-8-billion/
    http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/05/microsoft-buys-skype-2/
    http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-pick/microsoft-buys-skype-20110510/
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/may/10/microsoft-buys-skype-biggest-gamble-yet

     

    • Paavo Viilup 10:20 on May 19, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      Very good. I like how you blend the two sides of the task into one coherent whole and integrate the media review as continuous text and not separate quotes. Excellent!

  • Silver 17:23 on May 18, 2011 Permalink |
    Tags: mondaytask3   

    MicroSkype 

    Skype, a mostly free Internet calling application was acquired by Microsoft for 8.5 billion dollars. Since Skype is the application of the century, there will be a lot of users influenced by the plausible changes that could occur, while Microsoft is at power. So to all of our interest, what will the changes be?

    Firstly Microsoft will most likely push skype to be their main communication system (replacing Lync), it can be expected that Microsoft will try and make the system as enerygy/money sufficient as possible. Fortionately to the user, when skype is used on a mobile-phone, this would mean a drop in cost.

    Secondly, “eBay” has tried to put Skype to better use before, but with little success because they were unable to put the code of Skype to work. Seemingly, when this incident was to happen to Microsoft, there could be a change in the code of the application. Although this would be a change of large scale, it would fortionately not affect the regular user, as Microsoft will try and leave the outlook and usability the same/similar to what Skype had before. Because, lets face it, why change something that is as brilliant as it is?

    Thirdly, as a mobile gamer, one could experience difficulties. Users of the Playstation Portable (PSP), used to use their device to make calls through Skype. Now that Microsoft has hold of the software, It could turn out that for PSP users, this application would not be available anymore as it is left to Microsoft to decide whether or not let users continue using the application. Although this could turn out either way, it can be expected that Microsoft will not cancel the privileges, even though one can expect fees for the luxury.

    Furthermore, the regular user of the Windows phone 7 as well as an online gamer, using Xbox and Kinect will clearly benefit from this union, as Microsoft will add Skype usability to the previously mentioned phone and gaming device. This will surely be boosted by the fact that Nokia and Microsoft had joined hands some time before.

    Lastly, video advertising will be something that the user of the new, improved Microsoft Skype will most probably have to deal with. This so called problem has two sides, one being that Windows will want to earn some of that 8,5billion back, and the other being that users will terribly suffer the consequences of this change. But would Google or Facebook have bought the software, similar results would have occurred, so that means that this change was inevitable, consider it either good or bad, advertisements will appear.

    In conclusion, Microsoft promises to bring variety to Skype usability, making it compatible with gaming consoles as well as mobile-phones. And although, advertisements will swarm Skype and the PSP user might have to say good bye to the application, the transformation is truly something look forward to.

    http://bit.ly/jl3gOQ source 1
    http://bit.ly/l3dltn source 2
    http://bit.ly/jSR2Lo source 3
    http://on.mash.to/ivYEMN source 4

     

    • Paavo Viilup 11:55 on May 19, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      I think MS has stated that they will continue supporting non-Windows platforms, thus I think PSP users will continue to be happy (whether owning a PSP is something that makes you happy is a totally different question).

      I do not understand the eBay paragraph (it’s not “eBay”, they’re actually called that), in what way couldn’t they make the code work?

      Otherwise, it’s okay, not spectacular, not stellar, just okay.

  • Erik-Silver Toomere 15:14 on May 17, 2011 Permalink |
    Tags: , mondaytask3   

    Microsoft buys Skype 

    Sky.net /topic

    I make joke two.

    Firstly, the deal’s impact on the proverbial regular user at the moment is rather small. The first and probably at the moment most notable addition is the Skype ‘Email Toolbar’ and ‘Office Toolbar’ which, like the names already imply, are Skype toolbars for Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Office respectedly.

    The second change will be the choice. When dealing with the email services after Microsoft acquired Hotmail the users suddenly had a choice, whether to carry on using Outlook or switching over to the Internet-based Hotmail, now this has pretty much happened again. Microsoft now has three instant messaging services: Windows Live Messenger, Microsoft Lync and the new addition of Skype. In all three there is the possibilty of text, voice and video chat.

    However this choice is a double-sided sword, or rather triple-sided sword. Windows Live Messenger is a very casual messaging service with flashy additions, Microsoft Lync on the other hand is a paid service that is oriented towards firms that do not wish to develop their own chat systems and Skype is the king in quality voice and video chats. This means that a situation will arise, the similar situation I have currently: I use Windows Live Messenger because it really is the best choice for text chats, however I have Skype installed whenever I want to voice or video chat with somebody since Windows Live Messenger can not handle those two tasks.

    I hope that in the future Microsoft decides to connect the text chat brilliance of Windows Live Messenger and the quality of voice and video chat of Skype.

    Secondly, the reactions to the 8,5 billion USD deal based on a selection of technology news outlets.

    First the price: “Skype was first sold for a relative bargain at $2.5bn to eBay in 2005, who in turn sold most of it off to Silver Lake in 2009 at an overall valuation of $2.75bn” so why the sudden rise in price? I think it is actually quite simple: they just can. And even if Skype will not bring profit to them or even loss they still have the most successful and popular VoIP service currently available.

    Another reason could be defense: “Just days after reports that Google and Facebook were interested in partnering with, and possibly buying VoIP company Skype, Microsoft announced that it was buying the company” so instead of allowing Skype to fall for their competitors they simply made an offer Skype could not refuse.

    According to Microsoft “Skype will support Microsoft devices like Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone and a wide array of Windows devices, and Microsoft will connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live and other communities” and BBC: “if they can put it on Windows 8, it gives them an advantage. It helps them in the tablet market…other analysts say Microsoft’s aim in buying Skype is to improve its video conferencing services”, thus the only logical conclusion is, like I predict, that Microsoft is planning to merge Windows Live Messenger and Skype thus giving us quality text, voice and video chat which is available ona wide array of products.

    In conclusion, to put it in the words of Steve Ballmer: “The goal is to empower people around the world with technology that will bring them together” so perhaps Nokia is the next stop for the ever-growing mega-corporation that is Microsoft?

     

    • Paavo Viilup 09:47 on May 19, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      This is much better than previous efforts, even though the media review could be so much more than a simple collection of quotes (which isn’t really a review, film reviews do not necessarily include the thing talked about in film form, for example).

      The first half is solid, but could be more thorough, eg. you could talk about your experience using the two applications and what the user experience is like as a result of this duality. Is this actually a hindrance? Are most users willing to juggle between multiple applications etc.

  • Paavo Viilup 09:15 on May 16, 2011 Permalink |
    Tags: , mondaytask3   

    Essay Monday 3 

    Dearest students,

    please analyse the possible impact of Microsoft’s Skype deal on your Grandmother’s online habits.

    I make joke.

    The actual topic for today is:

    “Skype was recently acquired by Microsoft. Discuss both the deal’s impact on the proverbial regular user and the reactions to the deal based on a selection of technology sites/blogs.”

    The latter requires you to write a media review based on at least 6 (six) sources.

    Due date = Thursday (May 15) 10:00 AM.

     

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