[MMike]

Dammit........and I LOVE skype too...use it every day.

Now we'll have to find something better to use


It's going to get attacked by malware and subject to weekly updates...

 

[dante]

A link would be helpful for those of us who had to search teh google to figure out your joke...

 

[MMike]

Who's joking?

 

[MMike]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42967056/ns/business-us_business

 

[w00dy]

Google voice is already synched up to my phone contacts. No. Big. Deal.

 

[MMike]

We use the chat feature non stop here at work. We have two offices so the IM is the this we use the most......that and desktop sharing....which is hugely useful.

 

[Rideforfun]

We use the chat feature non stop here at work. We have two offices so the IM is the this we use the most......that and desktop sharing....which is hugely useful.

English... do you speak it?

 

[MMike]

English... do you speak it?

 

[$tinkle]

gchat/gtalk ftw here, as we have international assets & this has proven to be invaluable for both its cost & reliability. sound quality is found wanting at times, but i believe most of that is HW related.

don't get me started on webex -vs- go2mtg. gonna start cutting throats if they don't give me my cisco back

 

[stevew]

fvcking cube jockeys.

 

[$tinkle]

someone's gotta fund social programs


if only mine

 

[dante]

gchat/gtalk ftw here, as we have international assets & this has proven to be invaluable for both its cost & reliability. sound quality is found wanting at times, but i believe most of that is HW related.

don't get me started on webex -vs- go2mtg. gonna start cutting throats if they don't give me my cisco back

I'll agree on this as well, as it almost seems like Skype is "old" technology. Since I've started using google talk/google voice, there's almost no need for Skype anymore except for the occasional video chat with the relatives (or pestering factories, since they're all still using Skype). It's just integrated seamlessly with both my computer and (new) smartphone, especially the free google texting through google voice. Dunno, maybe I'll feel differently if I ever get a skype app running on my android phone, but it seems like the only thing Skype has going for it is that everyone is on it.

 

[jonKranked]

what i'm wondering - it was widely rumored that google and facebook were looking at them as well. Was this a move just to prevent the competition from gaining skype in an acquisition? or does M$ have an actual strategic purpose for this? Perhaps some sort of WinPo7 integration? Upcoming tablet specific version of windows?

One curious thing I just read is that the skype user base is actually SMALLER (substantially too) than the user base for Windows Messenger Live.

 

[jonKranked]

what i'm wondering - it was widely rumored that google and facebook were looking at them as well. Was this a move just to prevent the competition from gaining skype in an acquisition? or does M$ have an actual strategic purpose for this? Perhaps some sort of WinPo7 integration? Upcoming tablet specific version of windows?

One curious thing I just read is that the skype user base is actually SMALLER (substantially too) than the user base for Windows Messenger Live.

 

[dante]

what i'm wondering - it was widely rumored that google and facebook were looking at them as well. Was this a move just to prevent the competition from gaining skype in an acquisition? or does M$ have an actual strategic purpose for this? Perhaps some sort of WinPo7 integration? Upcoming tablet specific version of windows?

One curious thing I just read is that the skype user base is actually SMALLER (substantially too) than the user base for Windows Messenger Live.

Link? I'd also wonder what % of those people *actually* use WML. M$ft insists on getting a WML account for just about anything. Cloud computing? Need a WML account. M$FT HD webcam? Need a WML account just to set the damn thing up. It's one of those annoying things that I have to sign up for and never actually use... ever.

 

[jonKranked]

Link? I'd also wonder what % of those people *actually* use WML. M$ft insists on getting a WML account for just about anything. Cloud computing? Need a WML account. M$FT HD webcam? Need a WML account just to set the damn thing up. It's one of those annoying things that I have to sign up for and never actually use... ever.

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/05/microsoft-buys-skype-2/

Windows Live Messenger offers free instant messaging, and voice and video chat. It currently boasts around 330 million active users each month, typically with around 40 million online at any one moment.

Skype, in contrast, has around a third the number of active users — 124 million each month — as well as fewer simultaneous online connections—typically 20-30 million.

edit: I do get your point. M$ has WML so integrated with features that its near impossible to turn it off without losing functionality

 

[syadasti]

edit: I do get your point. M$ has WML so integrated with features that its near impossible to turn it off without losing functionality

WML also has the desktop sharing and remote assistance features that use remote desktop protocol. I find the desktop sharing in Skype to be useful. I don't often use Skype, MS(WML), Google, or Cisco conferencing solutions. I can see how the desktop sharing can be useful but video conferencing seems like a waste of time especially in business settings.

 

[$tinkle]

I can see how the desktop sharing can be useful but video conferencing seems like a waste of time especially in business settings.

100%
can't help but wonder: does m$ know something we don't? no company can be this stupid.

 

[DaveW]

100%
can't help but wonder: does m$ know something we don't? no company can be this stupid.

The company behind windows 2000/ME?
Yes, yes it can.

 

[jonKranked]

I can see how the desktop sharing can be useful but video conferencing seems like a waste of time especially in business settings.

do you deal with overseas manufacturing?

 

[syadasti]

do you deal with overseas manufacturing?

No but why do you need to see people looking awkward in poor quality video? You can use photos and lots of other stuff in desktop sharing or virtual whiteboard and send decent video before or after the meeting. Voice and text chat is all you need otherwise.

Look at how video (TV) has ****ed up politics. People pick up on stupid things and make decisions based on insignificant visual details.

 

[jonKranked]

No but why do you need to see people looking awkward in poor quality video?

for most general business stuff we don't need it, but it sure comes in handy to get live video feed of lines running to help troubleshoot issues, and other similar situations.

 

[$tinkle]

Look at how video (TV) has ****ed up politics. People pick up on stupid things and make decisions based on insignificant visual details.

sees what you did there

 

[syadasti]

for most general business stuff we don't need it, but it sure comes in handy to get live video feed of lines running to help troubleshoot issues, and other similar situations.

I don't doubt remote surveillance/monitoring solutions. Those are very popular and helpful tools - we use ours often. Its not exactly traditional videoconferencing...no Polycom BS.

sees what you did there

Had to post to the worst case scenario Can anyone top that?

 

[IH8Rice]

Had to post to the worst case scenario Can anyone top that?

 

[Pesqueeb]

Batsh*t by any other name is still batsh*t.

 

[ohio]

Video conferencing can be extremely useful when coupled with desktop sharing, especially if it's multi-point. Being able to put names with faces, see who it is that's speaking at a given moment, see hand gestures and facial expressions, all very valuable.

If you've never had a miscommunication cost you time, money, or goodwill, you probably haven't ever had a job.

[disclosure - I designed and built SkyRoom (now Virtual Rooms) for HP. Though they don't market it and it's impossible to find on their website, I think it's the most valuable thing they've created in the last 10 years. If you ever have the chance to use it (even though it's now already 2 years old), it will blow your mind. At ~$150 a seat, it is as good or better than their enterprise level, $100k+ Halo rooms (which my old company also designed) because people can work from their own desktops rather than having to convene in a dedicated room]

edit: SkyRoom in action. (I am not responsible for that demo video, with it's douchey host and terrible music, in any way)

 

[$tinkle]

Batsh*t by any other name is still batsh*t.

 

[Pesqueeb]

The defense rests.

 

[$tinkle]

(now Virtual Rooms) for HP. Though they don't market it and it's impossible to find on their website, I think it's the most valuable thing they've created in the last 10 years. If you ever have the chance to use it (even though it's now already 2 years old), it will blow your mind. At ~$150 a seat, it is as good or better than their enterprise level, $100k+ Halo rooms (which my old company also designed) because people can work from their own desktops rather than having to convene in a dedicated room]

back when i was runnin w/ the rainbow unicorns ('08) we were doing this. we purposefully had a guy up north & ran a dedicated piece of glass so that we could demo that to the potential client, now cornered like a trapped rat for the hard sell. it was pretty cool, but how do you pkg that & sell it in numbers to justify all the necessary changes to infrastructure?

hp still don't know.

and their stock can't seem to break north of 45

 

[ohio]

back when i was runnin w/ the rainbow unicorns ('08) we were doing this. we purposefully had a guy up north & ran a dedicated piece of glass so that we could demo that to the potential client, now cornered like a trapped rat for the hard sell. it was pretty cool, but how do you pkg that & sell it in numbers to justify all the necessary changes to infrastructure?

hp still don't know.

and their stock can't seem to break north of 45

Are you asking about Halo? If so, I don't know the answer. The rooms are+ sexy big ticket items but the number of potential customers and the total revenue numbers don't make much sense.

If you mean SkyRoom, it runs from any PC on any network. Automatically scales performance to your machine and network. In the hands of a company that understands (and can market/sell) software, it's a $1B+ product. But HP thinks they're still a hardware company.

Don't be fooled by their laptop sales figures. HP is a miserable company that has disintegrated to a point that I think is inrecoverable. I'd sooner put my cash in a mattress than go long on their stock.

 

[$tinkle]

Are you asking about Halo?

oui

HP thinks they're still a hardware company.

Don't be fooled by their laptop sales figures. HP is a miserable company that has disintegrated to a point that I think is inrecoverable. I'd sooner put my cash in a mattress than go long on their stock.

qft