Skype To Get Facelift
By Anna Johnson on June 15th, 2008Skype 4.0 is due for release any day now. According to Josh Silverman, president of the eBay owned Internet phone division, this new version of Skype will feature a dramatic redesign and better integrate audio calls, video calls, file-sharing and text chat.
Among the new features will be having the “call” and “video call” icons beside each user’s name to make video calls easier. The new version will also feature records of previous communications beside each user’s name to make it easier to view past conversations.
Of course, commercial considerations are likely to be the main driver behind the revamp. Since eBay bought the company in 2005, Skype has grown dramatically in terms of both users (now 309 million) and revenues (now $126 million). Even so, it seems that eBay may have spent too much on its acquisition, having bought Skype for $2.6 billion and needing to take a huge write-down on the purchase in 2007.
Consequently, the company hopes the redesign will more effectively channel more users to the paid Skype services. For example, future initiatives as part of the Skype 4.0 revamp will include making it easier to use PayPal to send money via Skype, and access to Skype Prime. Skype Prime will involve third parties providing paid services via Skype, for which eBay will receive a commission.
Source: Brad Stone, “A Redesign at Skype”, The New York Times, June 17, 2008
