IT EXPO — Much of the early comment on the purchase of Skype by a private-equity investor group focused on the ramifications for eBay (EBAY), the online auction site that purchased the VoIP provider in 2005. But the more interesting question may be, what does this deal mean for not only Skype, but for the VoIP industry as a whole?
Reaction from IP telecom industry figures in Los Angeles for IT EXPO was almost uniformly positive. The relatively hefty price paid by the investor group led by prestigious Silicon Valley firm Silver Lake Partners represents a watershed for IP telephony providers, many IT EXPO attendees agreed.
“It’s good for the industry,” said Irv Shapiro, CEO of cloud-based IP telephony provider Ifbyphone. “It really validates the value of applications into the telephony cloud.”
Since that’s a concise description of what Shapiro’s company offers, that could be written off as a self-serving interpretation. It’s clear, however, that with the uncertainty of its future ownership structure resolved (eBay had announced earlier this year that it would spin Skype off in an IPO in 2010, a maneuver that was widely derided as implausible), Skype is now freed up to pursue its goal of becoming an all-purpose telephony application platform for both consumers and businesses.
As of the end of the second quarter, Skype had 481 million subscribers, a remarkable figure for a company six years ago. With revenue per subscriber hovering at less than $1, however, it has become clear that Skype cannot thrive without a set of premium services, for which it can charge more, and without a strategy to attract businesses.
The Asterisk Hook-Up
Deepening its reach into business telecom systems, Skype last March released a new software application linking existing SIP-based PBXs to the Skype IP calling network.
Called “Skype For SIP,” the new application allows companies to receive inbound calls from Skype users through their existing PBX, at no charge to the caller; make outbound calls anywhere in the world, from any device connected to the SIP PBX, at low global calling rates from Skype; and purchase Skype online numbers to receive free calls traditional fixed or mobile phones.
