For those of you who don’t know, Skye is an application that allows individuals to make telephone calls over the internet using a protocol called Voice-over-IP (VoIP). Skype is a great tool and one that I have always recommended highly. Last September, Skype was purchased by the online auction giant Ebay. Many people were concerned over what would happen when Ebay took over Skype, but Ebay guaranteed that basic Skype services would remain free. So far, Ebay has kept its word in that regard and I have been pleasantly surprised with the acqusition.
Until now…
Skype has entered into a partnership with Intel. Under the conditions of the deal, Skype will offer advanced capabilities to users who are operating on an Intel platform. PCs running on Intel’s new core duo or Pentium D chips will be able to support 10-way calling through Skype. If you are using an AMD, older Intel or some other processor, you will be limited to 5-way calling. This may seem like more than enough, but for small businesses that want to leverage Skype as part of their IT infrastructure, this move corners them into using Intel’s newer processors.
I do not like this idea at all. I am completely unconvinced of any technical requirement that would necessitate using a dual core processor for 10-way calling. Skype is not exactly a processor-consuming application. Just take a look at your task manager next time you are using it. The Skype application will still use the exact same x86 architecture under the hood. There is nothing specific in the coding that requires the Intel chips. Intel claims their will be instruction set optimization that will allow Skype to perform better and that will enable the 10-way calling. While I am sure there have been some code “changes,” I do not see any technical reason that 10-way calling could not be carried out on other processors. Skype is merely locking their application’s advanced features to the Intel chips.
In the processor debate, Skype has clearly jumped to Intel with both feet. The arrangement screams of nothing more than an exclusive business arrangement. While I will still use and recommend Skype for the time being, this new arrangement and direction is something that I will be watching very closely in the coming months.
On a side note, if you are interested in looking at other options, there is Gizmo, an alternative, open source, VoIP application. Definitely worth checking out.
Tags: amd, gizmo, intel, skype, voip
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