Interop: Skype calls for interoperability

Network World - Peer-to-peer communications vendor Skype used its Interop keynote slot today to put out a call to traditional PBX vendors, inviting them to make their gear interoperable as the company tries to make inroads with businesses.

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In particular, Skype wants support for Skype calls that come in to businesses using PBXs that support Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunking, said Stefan Oberg, general manager and vice president of Skype for Business "This is an area where we'd like to cooperate with you."

Skype has announced its Skype for SIP capability that would make the link between its calls and corporate PBXs. Oberg was seeking cooperation to make interoperability easier for corporate customers. Skype has also issued Skype for Asterisk, which enables using Skype client software as softphones in businesses that use open-source Asterisk IP PBXs.

Oberg saod the company is building a stable of channel partners who will sell Skype to businesses and developing a premium support service that businesses require in order to ensure uptime for their communications. That will include local tech support with staff that speaks the local language, he said.

The company is also working on a business control panel, software that will enable a business to buy Skype credit and distribute it among individual users within the business.

Oberg said the main attraction of Skype for corporations is savings. Calls between Skype peers are free, as is video and conference calling among Skype clients. The company charges for connecting calls to the traditional public phone network. Business benefits would also include better productivity. He said Skype uses a permanent video call between two of its offices that is displayed on a screen near water coolers in both offices.

"We are changing the water-cooler conversation. We are making it international," he said.

Skype can be embedded in third-party applications to enable, for example, click-to-call support for Microsoft Outlook directories.

Skype announced its business push earlier this year, but Oberg acknowledged that many potential customers remain unaware of its effort.