Skype adding video to their voice service and Skype for SmartPhones

Skype are planning to add video chat services to their voice chat-via-internet software in the coming year. It seems that with the rush of VOIP services, Skype is turning up the development heat in order to regain some market momentum. In fact, they are also planning to add Skype for SmartPhones and other devices. When? Well, that they can't answer, but they do promise that Skype will appear on more platforms inthe future. As for the VOIP to standard phone issue, they still believe Skype users don't want it.  Seriously. That's what they said.

[Martin @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

"As for the VOIP to standard phone issue, they still believe Skype users don’t want it." Isn't that what Skype Out does or am I missing something?

[MikeH @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

Skype has great potential, and a serious downside. The P2P nature of Skype is unparalleled. This is the genius of it. However, because Skype uses a proprietary protocol, I believe it will ultimately fail. VoIP technologies such as Asterisk (www.asterisk.org) are gaining traction. Though is it slower moving, Asterisk is mainly making inroads into the Enterprise, which is needed for VoIP to become ultimately successful.

[Scott @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

The Skype CEO claimed "that most Skype customers were not currently interested in making voice over IP calls to SIP-enabled handset users." That's SIP as in the VOIP standard - nothing was said about calls to standard phones. As I another commentor pointed out, SkypeOut already allows this to be done.

[MS Mobiles @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

Smartphones don't have Wi-Fi usually and Skype will not run in them. It is total mistunderstanding!

vnunet.com is extremely incompetent so I should be cautious when quoting them...

[Vincent Oberle @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

The data protocols that are on today's smartphones, GPRS, EDGE, wouldn't allow for a VoIP application like Skype due to their high latencies. 3G is much more adapted to this.

[Marcell G. @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

What standard does skype use? (like H323)
Does it work on linux or other Posix systems ?
Is it an alternative of gnomemeeting and H323 in any way?

[Kris_from_Poland @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

What kind will be codec ?
whether vp6.2 or H.264 ?

[Andy @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

Skype will add video conferencing, short messaging system (SMS), and voice mail in 2005 in the Taiwan market.

According to DigiTimes:

In addition, PChome recently completed the development of USB phones for a variety of Skype�s VoIP applications in cooperation with an unnamed Taiwan-based manufacturer, said Luo. The product is currently awaiting verification from the headquarters of Skype Technologies in Switzerland.

Regards,
Andy