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The Microsoft Skype deal: what might happen (warning, humor ahead)

Summary: Microsoft stepped in at the last minute and has picked up Skype, and now the world is debating what the folks in Redmond might do with the prize. Here's a list of things we might see with Microsoft Skype.

James Kendrick

By for Mobile News |

The tech world is abuzz with the Microsoft/ Skype deal, and rightly so. Skype has been on the market for a while, and given the amount of cash needed to pick it up the players in the running to buy it were all the big names. Microsoft stepped in at the last minute and has picked up the golden ring, and now the world is debating what the folks in Redmond might do with the prize. Here's a satirical list of things we might see with Microsoft Skype (that sounds so wrong).

  • Skype will be renamed Windows Really Live (WRL) to reflect Microsoft's branding.
  • Windows 8 Ultimate Edition buyers will be able to make Skype (WRL) video calls to other Ultimate Edition buyers at no charge. This won't be possible at Windows 8 launch time, but will come Real Soon after launch. Honest.
  • Windows Phone 7 will be the last smartphone platform to get native Skype (WRL) video call support.
  • Microsoft will release a line of Windows Really Live smartphones with a stripped-down version of Windows Phone 7. The ReKin line will just do video calls, and require an expensive data plan to handle all of that video streaming. It will be aimed at teens with no income. Parents and Microsoft will be surprised when the ReKin phones end up being the product of choice for sexting.
  • The Mac version of Skype will still be around, just several versions behind the WRL version. Mac users will end up calling it FacePlant for obvious reasons.

While these outcomes of the Microsoft purchase of Skype are in jest, there aren't very many people who are happy about the deal. Skype has become a standard in the video/audio calling space, and Microsoft doesn't have a good track record for big company acquisitions. Just ask the Danger team about that, if you can find them.

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Topics: Social Enterprise, Collaboration, Microsoft

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  • RE: The Microsoft Skype deal: what might happen (warning, humor ahead)

    To be fair, Microsoft today is a lot better than they were years ago. Danger was doomed to fail anyway.

    And really?
    mrmckeb@...
    Reply Vote

    • Microsoft is now the laughing stock in mobile

      It's ironic that Windows Phone is the only platform that cannot do VoIP at all.<br><br>This is not because of lack of Skype. This is because Microsoft hasn't finished writing the network software (known as 'sockets') which is necessary for VoIP or video chat to work. Lack of sockets is also the reason why real-time multiplayer games don't work on Windows Phone.<br><br>So, even if Microsoft buys Skype, it won't work on Windows Phone 7.<br<br><br><br>BTW, the creators of Danger Inc (which was sold to Microsoft, to become the failed Kin) went on to make Android. So, away from Microsoft's clutches, they did really well.
      Vbitrate
      Reply Vote

      • RE: The Microsoft Skype deal: what might happen (warning, humor ahead)

        @gjafg

        Of course they have written the socket support, how do you think it loads web pages? Jeez... that was a lame attempt for an excuse. MS can't make a VoIP call because they lacked vision, no other reason required otherwise WM7 would have been release shortly after the original iPhone when Ballmer was blowing it off as a fad. No wonder WM7 is a day late and a dollar short.
        balsover
        Reply Vote

      • Are they the laughing stock, or just in your mind?

        @gjafg
        To be truthful, one guy from Danger teamed with 4 other people already working on Android, so be honest when you post and people will take you seriously.

        The fact that people are impressed with the OS in terms of it being far more stable and quicker then Android well, I'll skip Android and get a WP7 when it hits verzion.

        And I;ll just keep laughing at the Android users here at work with all their problems and issues!
        :)
        Bill Pharaoh
        Reply Vote

      • RE: The Microsoft Skype deal: what might happen (warning, humor ahead)

        @balsover

        He is right - read http://wp7lab.com/news/tcp-socket-support-wp7-mix11/

        The article explains that you cannot do a good VoIP with http that is implemented on WP7.

        Note:
        I am not sure if sockets support for TCP and UDP is in one of the latest WP7 updates...
        Solid Water
        Reply Vote

      • RE: The Microsoft Skype deal: what might happen (warning, humor ahead)

        @gjafg <br>What about a name like : <br>Microsoft SKYPE Home Premium Edition ?
        auntaru
        Reply Vote

    • Danger was not doomed to fail, it was the combo of Danger with MS that was

      doomed, this much is true. I would say that the combo of Skype with Microsoft is also doomed to fail, though, MS keeping the customers and technology away from Google and Facebook will probably justify the purchase price. And, also, MS of course gets the customer list and the opportunity to try to convert them to MS technologies. But, Skypes backend is Linux, and there will be the painful conversion to Windows server.
      DonnieBoy
      Reply Vote

      • You're just mad another company chose MS over Google

        @DonnieBoy

        Google is VERY quickly becoming irrelevant. And from what people here tell me porting something from Linux to Windows or Windows to Linux is really not all that hard.

        Nowhere near what you always claim.

        So who's right? You, or everybody else?
        Bill Pharaoh
        Reply Vote

      • RE: The Microsoft Skype deal: what might happen (warning, humor ahead)

        @DonnieBoy
        I don't know the current status, but just 4 years ago note than 60% of Microsoft owned servers ran Linux or Unix
        aiellenon
        Reply Vote

  • Who writes these articles

    Microsoft does not have a good track record? Have you ever heard of Groove? Just because you are only familiar with a small percentage of Microsoft's portfolio does not mean that Microsoft is unsuccessful. Microsoft has about a half dozen billion dollar business units.
    Your Non Advocate
    Reply Vote

    • RE: The Microsoft Skype deal: what might happen (warning, humor ahead)

      @facebook@...>>Have you ever heard of Groove?<< Already this question is the answer to itself. Yes, heard of it, but forgot and do not care. Microsoft here lacks focus - and in a fast moving world focus is important. Why do they buy Skpe anyway as the have the wonderful Office Something Comunicator? Why do the need a lousy consumer product? Maybe because their own stuff is not working as they promise in powerpoint slides?
      sglietz
      Reply Vote

      • RE: The Microsoft Skype deal: what might happen (warning, humor ahead)

        @sglietz On the contrary, I use Groove every day. It has been rebranded as SharePoint Workspace. The technology is significantly better than it was when it was a stand alone product. Skype integrated with lync, and vice versa will allow enterprise functionality (Lync) to the consumer market (Skype users_
        Your Non Advocate
        Reply Vote

  • This is going to get good.

    By the end of the day the comments for this article are going to be epic! Figures I won't be able to monitor them because I have to be on the road.

    Funny article, I enjoyed it. Some of it actually seems spot on too, but hopefully none of that stuff ever becomes reality.
    Bates_
    Reply Vote

  • Message has been deleted.

    shellcodes_coder
    Reply Vote

    • RE: The Microsoft Skype deal: what might happen (warning, humor ahead)

      @shellcodes_coder <br><br>That's right! Mac users will never be able to use Microsoft Office either. Oh, wait...
      SkiddMarxx
      Reply Vote

      • RE: The Microsoft Skype deal: what might happen (warning, humor ahead)

        @mseyf Actually, they can't. They are only allowed the portions of Office that don't compete exclusively in the business space (i.e., Project & Access are forbidden on the Mac). And then there was the wonderful 2008 (as I recall, perhaps a different version/year #) that dropped support for VBScript, so no Excel macros worked. That came back in 2011. Sigh.
        dasurber@...
        Reply Vote

  • RE: The Microsoft Skype deal: what might happen (warning, humor ahead)

    Ok, FacePlant was good... :)
    Real World
    Reply Vote

  • RE: The Microsoft Skype deal: what might happen (warning, humor ahead)

    LOL; Am sure Skype Premium will be available in Windows 8 Rich edition. New Windows 8 editions:
    Windows 8 Grandma edition for grandmas, uncle edition for uncle, poor edition for poor people, rich edition for rich people and so on LOL
    Just wondering how long will they support non-Microsoft platforms? a year or two then they will show their monopolistic nature by dropping support
    shellcodes_coder
    Reply Vote

  • Elop sold Nokia on the cheap

    $8 billion for Skype??? Nokia sold its core software for only $1 billion.
    guihombre
    Reply Vote

    • RE: The Microsoft Skype deal: what might happen (warning, humor ahead)

      @guihombre Nokia did not sell its core software for $1 Billion dollars. Nokia decided that Symbian is a dead end and is taking a $1 Billion handout from Microsoft.
      Your Non Advocate
      Reply Vote
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