The Google/eBay/Skype deal is a step in the right direction. This clearly shows that Skype's future is not in their SkypeIn/SkypeOut closed AOL-esque of yesteryears walled garden, but in providing open communcations and enabling new advertising channels for access to the masses. I have always asserted this, and glad to see Skype finallly making the right movements as it will be a benefit to their user community.

My guess is, sooner than later, that Skype will be providing open SIP gateways available to the masses coupled with Jingle interconnection possibilities for Google Talk. Lets say, inside of 2 months we will see some kind of movement?

This is the only logical progression in the strategy layed out with Google.

Holy Smokes! Movement already...

Google Talk and Skype going to be playing together.

QUOTE

The companies will also explore interoperability between Skype and Google Talk via open standards to enable text chat and online presence.

Google / eBay Press Release

I too may become a Skype fan soon!

Interoperability in text chat and online presence is hardly a step in the direction of "open communications" which for Skype means text, voice, video, file exchange, and ecommerce all within a private and secure (encrypted end-to-end) envelope. It looks more like a way to introduce G-talk's IM and email users to the marvels of Skyping.... and that is precisely what is going to happen. Google has seen the handwriting on the wall.... if you can't beat'em, join'em.

Ignoring the writing on the wall staring you in the face...



http://googletalk.blogspot.com/2006/08/tal...with-skype.html

This would be Skype going the way of Google Talk, not the other way around...

Besides, who is talking about only 'text chat and online presence'? Are we all reading the same thread?

PS - Chat == voice chat || or IM chat...

The quote you originally provided was "The companies will also explore interoperability between Skype and Google Talk via open standards to enable text chat and online presence."

Read the whole thing and you will see:

That process will, in my opinion, result in a far greater call volume with Skype than with Googletalk. My view is the same as many other "analysts". Why should Google care? The click belongs to them in any case. Googletalk will disappear because it's superfluous to the success of Google.

This is not a question of whether Google Talk will become the preferred desktop client, as Google does not plan to put its weight behind the client application anyway, as we have seen. As I stated in the other thread, self-fulfilling prophecy and entirely misses the point.

The point of Google Talk was to provide an open standard specification (Jingle within Jabber) for P2P IM/Voice that others will take and run with, providing a platform that may maximize Google's reach without having to dominate that technology themselves. What Google, via Google Talk, will do is require that Skype be open and interconnect with the world at large. So while Gtalk as a singular application may or may not survive in a meaningful way, Google will ensure Skype embraces Gtalk's ideals, ensuring they may reach all the worlds eyeballs, and Gtalk principals will live on. This will not happen with a closed and prioprietary AOL-esque walled garden approach. Remember, Skype has an exceptionally insignificant share of the global telecoms market, do not lose site of that. There is a lot more world out there to deal with...

So now you're saying that all Google wants is for its "ideals" to survive. I have no problem with that, and never have. I just think that when Skype moves to open protocols, it will do so on its own terms, not on Jingle's.

As for market share, I'm still waiting for you to state the name of any VOIP carrier that imposes a threat to Skype..... and don't tell me that the telecoms are not totally scared of VOIP. If you want to see verification of the worldwide Skype takeover, just check out list of partners that Skype already has: http://webtown.typepad.com/webtown/2006/08...e_sky.html#more . The takeover has just begun.

Is that not what we have been talking about, that Skype will open up? My bet is that it will be via their SIP gateways to begin with...



Um, what does your link prove?

Look at all those addressable users just added to the GoogleTalk ecosystem... Gtalk is on fire!



http://gtalk2voip.blogspot.com/2006/08/win...port-added.html

The future is bright.

It looks like you are close to admitting I made the right choice with my business

Welcome back MuppetMaster!

Ike

Welcome back? If he becomes a Skype Fan, he looses his job here on the forum
Farewell MuppetMaster

Yikes !! The friction in that kind of interconnection will prevent it from ever getting off the ground. Who would ever use that kind of junk? A 6 step process to make a call http://www.gtalk2voip.com/gtalk_service_tomsn.html. Speaking of addressable users, I hope you're not thinking that the link between gtalk and messenger represents real net growth in the "ecosystem". They're just combining two bad systems into one even worse system. Meanwhile, Skype continues to grow organically at a rate of about a million users a month (Jean, where are you?), and that rate is increasing.

I love it the way they say "Windows Live Messenger user can initiate calls to Google Talk users....or even use voicemail service! " They sure do sound excited about getting that voicemail thingy working . Now let's see if they can effect voice (with voicemail), video, text, sms, and file exchange.... all at the same time and all inside a single secure, encrypted, and stable channel with one click access. I'm waiting on baited breath.

You are very curious Garnet
1 million a month, i guess you mean "Users Online" ... in that case probably a little bit too optimistic for the time being!
Active users (not Usernames, Skype Staff ) is increasing at a speed of about 1.5 million per month ... but this is a very rough guess! I hope to blog one of these days how i reach such a conclusion!

Well, a lot of speculations for nothing !
In this text:
http://www.google.com/press/pressrel/ebay.html
I do not see anything about voice calls between Skype and Google Talk.
Only this vague statement:



But who cares about text chat and online presence ?
Now we can already chat from Gizmo to Google Talk but if we want to talk to each others from Gizmo to Google Talk it is not possible.
It doesn't make sense to me to be able ONLY to chat.
I want to be able to make voice calls from Skype to Google Talk, Gizmo, Wengo and other softwares.
But this is not going to happen in the next 100 years