The power of two: Microsoft and Skype.
I remember that for a few years now Microsoft needed the Silk codec to use it in conjunction with what was at that time Office Live Communicator and Office Live Meeting. I’m pretty sure they needed it for Lync, a product I like a lot, especially since I have it installed on my PC and laptop as part of the great Office 365 E3 subscription we have at Dev-Vision.
Finally Skype and Microsoft merged and what once was Skype Limited now became the Skype Division at Microsoft, with its head Mr. Tony Bates.
Microsoft Skype?
If you visit the Skype.com web site, you may see a large announcement on Skype’s page, saying:Now Microsoft and Skype together will enable more people to connect in more ways bringing innovative technology to friends, families and colleagues everywhere.It’s true that with the merger of the two companies, Microsoft will benefit from the large number of Skype users and I’m sure is only a matter of time until Microsoft integrates Skype with Microsoft’s existing VoIP infrastructure, this including Lync and Windows Live Messenger and maybe other services as well. With this Microsoft even gets another slice of Facebook, as Facebook already uses Skype for video chat and Bing for search.
What the Future Holds
I’m not a fortune teller nor I have a crystal ball, but I’m sure that, as Tony Bates says in the video interview embedded above, Microsoft will continue to support the whole range of devices and operating systems. I’m a fan of Linux and I use it occasionally, so I would really like to see any new version of Microsoft Skype running well under Linux too. But what I would like the most is for Microsoft to integrate Skype with Windows Phone Mango and Lync Online from Office 365. This will surely enable businesses collaborate in new ways and empower them even more. If Microsoft really wants to do something good, this should be their main focus. Time will tell. Cheers,