A Warning To Skype? Nah, Not in My Book

Skype was sent a warning by Peter Csathy, on his blog this week, explaining why Skype, which is currently using the ON2 codec should be worried after Google acquired them. Google is also using parts of Videyo and video technology from client GIPS, and sometime back purchased a company with video expertise out of Scandinavia.

Actually, ON2 made the move at the right time to sell, just as Csathy did when he pulled a rabbit out of his hat and successfully exited SightSpeed to Logitech last November. But I have to disagree about Skype needing to worry about ON2 and Google.

In my view Skype with their technical team has the internal know-how and expertise to build their technology based on standards, not proprietary technologies. So while ON2 uses h.264 and optimizes it very well, this is much like the purchase of TellMe by Microsoft. You but it for what and who it has. Google has yet to demonstrate they play the "patent" game, and their video chat is just that, chat while what Skype is likely working on goes after Cisco and other telepresence suites, democratizing them the way their voice platform has leveled the cost of talking.