Google is talking. I tried Google Talk this morning and sound quality was really very good.  Almost better than Skype in that there was less amplification of ambient sound. Crystal clear.  Many thoughts swirling in my mind right now - so here is my ramble.

I wonder whether it uses as much bandwidth as Skype does.  Must try it with a video application - is a good user test.  More questions .. is voice and chat encrypted in Google Talk? They have just opened Gmail out to the public - so expect many more users.  Will it work from mobile devices - I can browse Google and get gmail today on the mobile phone - will I be able to use GoogleTalk to chat too? How viral will it get when integrated with their browser, Google Desktop, Orkut, etc?  Will this kill Skype as it is a stand-alone application whereas Google has become a way of life for internet users with its suite? Google then move from content to conversation? How open will their API be, will they encourage and reward independent developers or leave them frustrated? 

Really interesting to see how it all emerges. 

5:51:26 PM    comment []  trackback []

The recently launched DNA, a national English-language newspaper, has bagged the first interview with Niklas Zennstrom in Indian media. 

I couldn't find the article online so here's a scanned image of the interview. 

No surprises really, as he talks about how Skype has taken off, the thinking behind creating Skype and the way forward for Skype.  Partnerships with handset manufacturers, and wifi enabled devices, neww payment options, and additional premium offerings such as video-conferencing and workgroups focussed offerings.

A non-committal 'perhaps' to the question of whether India could aid in product development going forward, and the statement that India ranks 36 in Skype's top ranking countries of use, with more than 279,000 users.  Ending the interview with this thought :

"As one of the world's emerging leaders in IT and associated services, India certainly has a major part to play in the future development of Skype."

279,000 is a small number really, I think there is tremendous potential to expand the base in India. Perhaps a starting point would be to scope the opportunity with different segments of potential Skypers in India - the Indian with family abroad, the villager with low communication access otherwise, the internet kiosk user, the small and medium businessman.

Then there is the business model ... free vs paid services ñ should Skype look at 100mn subscribers to free service or 10mn who pay?  What are the  critical success factors, brand strategy, media streams etc both short term and longer term ?

And to scope different areas of operation and affiliates - appropriate partners,  hotspots, cybercafes where often there is a lot of VOIP usage, social networking sites (dating and match-making sites for instance are huge in India ñ not sure they currently use VOIP or presence), the whole BPO industry, portals and programmers who tend to use more of these technologies (and are a huge number).

These scenarios will play out as more and more of India gets better internet connection.  I live in Bombay and yes, I do have a decent connection at home, and I use Skype, SkypeIn and SkypeOut extensively with clients and friends/family.  And it works well.  But I also travel a lot on work and have erratic connections, sometimes a dial-up, sometimes using a Reliance CDMA phone as a modem which gives me speeds similar to ''claimed'' dial-up speeds (56 kbps), and I have managed to speak to people on Skype and make calls to cell phones in the US on that connection as well.  Not always perfect of course, but enough to communicate quite fluidly.  

Moreover, cell phones are really changing the way we communicate and connect, and not just in their use as mobile phones.  Price of GPRS and CDMA connections are coming down day by day, and when used as modems, they work pretty well.  Since I got my Reliance phone, I see no need to struggle with really lazy dial-up connections.  And it costs me about 12 USD a month with a bar on 1 GB downloads, which is more than sufficient for using it as my modem.

There are enough indicators that broadband connections too are going to increase, and pretty soon.  If not through cables, it will be wireless even in remote areas.  I agree that it is one of the large factors that will determine the success of Skype in countries like India.  It is coming and my hope is that Skype must get their act going for India, as the market potential is huge.  

Lets see how all of this plays out ... now with Google Talk-ing, it should all get more interesting.  Hmmmmm.

5:40:12 PM    comment []  trackback []