April 8th, 2005
Voice-over-IM a Skype-Out killer?
Microsoft’s New MSN Messenger 7.0 has been launched with some enhanced PC-to-PC audio capability.
The giant from Redmond says the new 7.0 is built on a peer-to-peer technology that will render it less susceptible to unwanted firewall block.
As voice-over-IM expands with better quality, I cannot help but wonder - given the huge installed base for these utilities - what that does to existing, free user-to-user VoIP services such as SkypeOut.
Skype I could see, but with voice-over-IM, why download and install another program if you mainly want to use IP to call your friends? I mean they are probably on one of the IM services already?
Do I have a point here? Will enhanced voice over IM hurt the softphone service providers? TalkBack and let us know what you think.
Well, could be.
Russell Shaw is an enterprise computing journalist, analyst and author based in Portland, Oregon. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
