What Microsoft’s Skype acquisition means for social TV

Posted by Cory Bergman on May 10, 2011

Update: In a record acquisition for the company, Microsoft announced this morning it’s buying Skype for $8.5 billion. The real-time communications service has 170 million connected users, and for Microsoft, that was too good to pass up. Explains the release:

Skype will support Microsoft devices like Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone and a wide array of Windows devices, and Microsoft will connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live and other communities. Microsoft will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms.

The social TV implications are many. Skype is increasingly appearing on connected TV sets with built-in cameras and apps. And, of course, Xbox integration is a no-brainer: Kinect already has a camera, and the voice and motion element will make calling grandma as easy as, well, saying “Xbox call grandma.” So in the very near future, just about every TV will be able to make a video call with other TVs, laptops or mobile devices. Sure, Apple’s Facetime is cool, but Skype has massive scale.

“We’re committed to optimizing Skype for the TV with Xbox and Kinect,” said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in a webcast this morning. “(There’s) huge potential for us to create new user experiences and market opportunities.”

Skype also shares a relationship with Facebook, one of Microsoft’s most valued partners. Up until the acquisition was announced, some speculated that Facebook was buying Skype. Now that it’s in Microsoft’s corner — and not Google’s — there’s every reason to believe that Skype’s relationship with Facebook will expand, perhaps integrating Facebook chat with video calling. Phone books will become “Facebooks,” and the role of the television set will expand beyond TV to real-time communications.

For news organizations that increasingly use Skype for live interviews, the acquisition could be good news. Skype is still reeling a bit from its December outage, and Microsoft could beef up Skype’s dependability. For TV, that’s critical.

Finally, Skype is becoming a big video player — 40% of its daily calls are video calls. “Video ads is one of the biggest opportunities we see moving forward,” said Skype CEO Tony Bates. “We’re just at the beginning of that in the U.S.”

Filed Under journalism, new networks, social viewing

http://justessay.com/ custom essay

Thanks for interesting post.
The Unknown Known

That’s all so much crap forever out of my reach anyway. Not that I even care.
http://www.playgamesasap.com/word-games.html Marielougary805

I dont think that skype is getting notice in a the public and I dont think that its gonna work or what
http://www.playgamesasap.com/word-games.html Marielougary805

I dont think people using this , just a waste of time
sale

French brand Longchamp (Long Xiang), founded in 1948, is a renowned family of one of the world-famous leather goods. It’s foldable nylon bag (Longchamp Le Pliage) bearing the prevalence of type looting scenes emerged, under its National welcomes more than LV. Spring and summer, when almost everyone one the street. It is a lot of advantages, lightweight foldable easy to carry, many color, size, number, can be used for different purposes. Longchamp bags of Xiang Ma has never been low-key design and meticulous presentation of LOGO, the LOGO away from the big fashion crime, the real is the Longchamp sale people remember the hand-folding-type packages, the prevalence of dumplings and packages to pay tribute to the lost Michae The buttons are popular in the emblem.
longchamp sale

Transfer from Fifth Avenue KELLAND reviews: Paris, like a typical woman, except I installed lipstick and wallet handbag, my hands and ultimately, only pink Longchamp bags, which not only incorporated the apple of my laptop, basically do not put other into a small bag of things together even have won, including: notebook, maps, keys, or even the next day I went to the fitness center, exercise clothing. It is durable, can hold, color variety, cool Gouxuan, and do not, can have folded and placed handbag, very easy, no wonder Paris, regardless of status, regardless of color, a staff Longchamp sale, there is simply “French Country Package” status. Price is also very approachable, a little big nylon bag in general more than two thousand dollars, Longchamp Tote this large only in the thousands up and down, quite a bargain. Look like good-looking, durable good equipment, and inexpensive, brand impact is large enough … enough … really, you have no reason not to do with a Longchamp