Summary
Skype's Niklas Zennstroem said that companies like Microsoft, AOL and Yahoo pose the largest threat because their customer base is so big. Both Microsoft and Yahoo have purchased VoIP companies.
Original source:
http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20051017.gtrskype17/BNStory/Technology/
Details
Internet phone-calling phenomenon Skype Technologies SA, which was bought by on-line auction company eBay Inc. for almost $4-billion (U.S.) last week, said it sees computer giant Microsoft Corp. as one of its biggest potential rivals.
"I think the biggest threat to us is companies like Microsoft, Yahoo and Time Warner's AOL, because their customer base is so big," Skype's chief executive officer and co-founder Niklas Zennstroem told a conference yesterday.
Microsoft bought Teleo in August and Yahoo bought Dialpad earlier in the year in efforts to catch up with Skype's lead in the booming voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) market.
Luxembourg-based Skype offers free computer-to-computer calls between Skype users.
It charges for calls made from or to numbers outside the network.
EBay is paying $2.5-billion plus another possible $1.4-billion if certain targets are met for Skype, which will allow it to add free Web telephone calls to its on-line auctions, smoothing the way for more deals to go through.
Mr. Zennstroem said he had thought long and hard about the sale to eBay and had talked to other potential buyers as well as considering an initial public offering before plumping for eBay, which promised Skype the most autonomy.
"EBay had a good record, especially with PayPal," said Mr. Zennstroem, referring to the on-line payment company eBay bought in 2002.
"They don't want to disintegrate the company.
They'll nourish it and allow it to grow."
Mr. Zennstroem confirmed that he had talks with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. before deciding to go with eBay.
"We had meetings with a lot of
companies.
Mr. Zennstroem said he saw growth possibilities in facilitating such services as live on-line translation.
"I'm convinced that over time pretty much all voice communication will be over the Internet.
In a few years' time the idea of paying for phone calls will seem very strange."
About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health author and award-winning journalist with a passion for sharing empowering information to help improve personal and planetary health He has authored more than 1,800 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, and he is well known as the creator of popular downloadable preparedness programs on financial collapse, emergency food storage, wilderness survival and home defense skills. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2010, Adams co-founded NaturalNews.com, a natural health video sharing site that has now grown in popularity. He also founded an environmentally-friendly online retailer called BetterLifeGoods.com that uses retail profits to help support consumer advocacy programs. He's also a noted technology pioneer and founded a software company in 1993 that developed the HTML email newsletter software currently powering the NaturalNews subscriptions. Adams also serves as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a non-profit consumer protection group, and regularly pursues cycling, nature photography, Capoeira and Pilates. He's also author a large number of health books offered by Truth Publishing and is the creator of numerous reference website including NaturalPedia.com and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. His websites also include the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the innate healing ability of the human body. Known by his callsign, the 'Health Ranger,' Adams posts his missions statements, health statistics and health photos at www.HealthRanger.org
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Tuesday, November 08, 2005
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