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Skype won't be developing software for Windows Phone 7 (updated)

By | May 13, 2010, 2:19am PDT

Summary: Skype has just revealed that they don’t have any development plans for bringing their popular VoIP technology service to Windows Phone 7.

Just after Skype announced additional coverage and pricing plans that should draw in new customers, this development surely won’t.

Skype has just revealed that they don’t have any development plans for bringing their popular VoIP technology service to Windows Phone 7. Bummer.

According to the Australian tech site Smarthouse, Dan Neary, Skype’s Vice President for the Asia/Pacific region, told attendees at an event in Sydney that they won’t be producing any software for the Windows Mobile system set to drop by the holiday season this year.

Instead, they’re focusing on projects for the iPhone, iPad and Android-powered mobile devices. Why the lack of love for Microsoft? A recent fall-out, perhaps? No one is sure, but Neary seemed “hesitant” to offer more details. There’s probably more to this, so stay tuned.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, it seems that this situation was taken out of context, and future Windows Phone 7 users might actually get access to Skype on their mobile devices. Neary actually said, according to Mobile Tech World that Skype app for Windows Mobile “is on the roadmap, the question is how quickly we’re going to get to it.” No timeline still, but good news.

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Skype Technologies S.A., Microsoft Windows, Tools & Techniques, Operating Systems, Software, Management, Rachel King

Rachel King is a staff writer for ZDNet based in San Francisco.

Disclosure

Rachel King

Rachel King has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted in this blog.

Biography

Rachel King

Rachel King is a staff writer for CBS Interactive in San Francisco. Before serving as a contributing editor at ZDNet in New York City for two years, she previously worked for The Business Insider, FastCompany.com, CNN's San Francisco bureau and the U.S. Department of State. Rachel has also written for MainStreet.com, Irish America Magazine and the New York Daily News, among others. Rachel has a B.A. in Mass Communications and History from the University of California, Berkeley and a M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University, where she served as art director for the student magazine, Plated.

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Let who fall behind?
dave95. 13th May 2010
With Skype being on iPhones, Android and every other current mobile OS, who's loss is it really here?
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They just want Microsoft to contribute some funds...
mrlinux 13th May 2010
for them to develop it.
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That's because Windows Phone 7 will fail
gjafg Updated - 13th May 2010
Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 is now a shocking debacle.

This is because of the incomplete and unsatisfactory condition WP7 is now in. The WP7 APIs are in an abyssal state, networking APIs will only work in the slow HTTP. An Android-style native-code NDK does not exist on WP7, making everything run slowly in managed code. To top it off, the platform is buggy, and can't be released by year's end (Microsoft is deceiving OEMs and devs, leading them to believe that it can).

The whole Windows Phone 7 platform is going to fail dismally soon after release, as it will be in a shoddy and unsellable state.
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Will???
OS Reload 13th May 2010
I was under the impression that it IS failing.
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If Win Mobile 7 get stable and usable...
mr1972 13th May 2010
I could see a future development. Right now technically the operating system isn't ready for prime time. When it is and if it has some market share, Skype will probably roll something out.
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RE: Skype won't be developing software for Windows Phone 7
Loverock Davidson 13th May 2010
This is Skype's loss, not Microsoft's. If they don't have any plans to contribute to the next generation mobile OS then let them fall behind. In a few months Skype will reverse this and start developing for Windows Phone 7 once they see the OS has a lot of potential and being used in more and more devices.
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RE: Skype won't be developing software for Windows Phone 7
Tsingi 13th May 2010
It cost you nothing to be so optimistic, in spite of the history of MS Mobile. For Skype it's like betting on a lame horse.
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Let who fall behind?
dave95. 13th May 2010
With Skype being on iPhones, Android and every other current mobile OS, who's loss is it really here?
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RE: Skype won't be developing software for Windows Phone 7
SmoothDouglas Updated - 13th May 2010
We most certainly will. However, regardless of available time and resources there is a technical obstacle that prevents any one from being able to make a VoIP application on Windows Phone 7. The only type of communication the device can establish with the outside world is through web service calls. For a VoIP application one needs to be able to open network sockets and stream the audio data over it. Third party applications will not be able to do this at the initial release of Windows Phone 7.

VoIP applications are not the only type of applications that cannot yet be developed. However, unlike Windows Mobile when Windows Phone 7 is released the devices won't be feature locked. Microsoft will be releasing updates with additional functionality over time and all users will be able to get them. So we may see third party socket support in a future release.

Comment taken from post by Joel Ivory Johnson
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Skype just keeps digging that hole!
csonera 13th May 2010
"Instead, they??????re focusing on projects for the iPhone, iPad and Android-powered mobile devices."

Please...
(1) The iPhone app only works through WiFi, still waiting for the app to work through 3G. The Apple/AT&T exclusivity deal has something to do with it since the iPhone's SDK has restrictions on calling over 3G.
(2) We shall see what happens with the iPad, Skype may deliver another crippled app.
(3) Android?? You have to be kidding... you have to be with Verizon to use their SkypeMobile app (no way!) and the app is once again CRIPPLED! Totally useless!

Skype did revise their subscription plans to include more countries but they also removed some countries from their Unlimited Plans and changed them to a per minute deal.

Skype dropped Windows Mobile & Android devices from their site, developed a Verizon only Android/Blackberry app which is crippled so it benefits Verizon, revised their subscription plans which hurt some subscribers and now their not developing an app for Windows 7 Phones... Keep it up Skype, your going to loose a great deal in this new course your taking.

Come on Gizmo5/Google Voice!!!!

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