Page 11 - Sphere No.16 (Apr 2006)

SPHERE 9
Newtrends
IT ALMOST SOUNDS too good to be true. Software that al-
lows free computer-to-computer phone calls to anywhere
in the world, is easy to use, has impressive sound quality
and also supports conference calling and instant messaging,
and an array of other features including calls to and from
landline and mobile phones.
That, in a word, is Skype, the Internet tool that is changing
the telecommunications world. Skype was created by Sweden’s
Niklas Zennström and Denmark’s Janus Friis, the brains behind
the Kazaa file sharing phenomenom. Launched in 2003, Skype
has millions of registered users around the world and last year
on-line auction site eBay agreed to pay a cool USD2.6 billion
(HKD20.28 billion) to buy the company.
This extraordinary success story is based on its simplicity. The
software is easy to install and the user requires nothingmore than
a headset or speaker. While Skype-to-Skype calls remain free, us-
ers must pay a small fee to call landline or mobile phones.
Skype is working with telecommunications companies that
share a vision of providing better ways for people to communi-
cate. Among those companies are Hutchison Whampoa Limited’s
3, Hutchison Global Communications (HGC) and Beijing-based
TOM Online, China’s leading wireless Internet company.
In February, 3 and Skype announced a plan to give people the
freedom to enjoy Skype anywhere they go, whether at home, in
the office or on the move while on Hutchison’s 3 networks.
This partnership will enable Hutchison to directly tap into
the 75 million people using Skype across the Hutchison terri-
tories and promote the benefits of using Skype on Hutchison’s
networks. “With Skype on mobile devices, people can keep in
touch with friends, family and colleagues wherever they go.
This takes Skype beyond the PC into the mobile world,” said
Mr Zennström, Skype CEO and co-founder. “I believe this will
accelerate the adoption and use of Skype to new levels.”
3 Group is expected to be the first tomarket the Skype-enabled
mobile devices and following trials, plans to launch later this year
in Austria, Australia, Hong Kong, Sweden, the UK and Italy.
“Skype on 3G smartphones, datacards and other devices is a
service that our customers will be thrilled to use,” said Chris-
tian Salbaing, Managing Director of Europe Telecommunica-
tions at Hutchison 3. “With Skype they can talk for as long
as they want with their friends around the world. It will be a
great addition to our existing wide range of multi-media mo-
bile broadband services.”
Skype also has a distribution partnership with HGC in Hong
Kong through the HGC-Skype portal. In Mainland China, Skype
has signed a joint venture with TOM Online, a subsidiary of
TOM Group, to further cement their strategic partnership in
China’s rapidly growing online communication market. New partnership will allow 3 users
to keep in touch wherever they go
ILLUSTRATIONS: BERNARD CHAU
Skype’s
the limit