What Will Microsoft do With Skype Video Conferencing?

In this article, I'll discuss its video capabilities. I have a business development colleague in Edmonton who frequently uses Skype for video conferencing. Since we have to contact each other frequently, I decided to give it a shot.

The first thing I'll say is that it is dead simple

The first thing I'll say is that it is dead simple. All you need is the Skype software, freely downloadable at www.skype.com, a high-speed Internet connection and a computer with speakers, a web camera and a microphone.

Most laptops now come with speakers, web cameras and microphones built-in so if you have one of these you won't even need to buy any equipment at all.

Polycom PC Speakerphone that I won at a conference

I as well have a Polycom PC Speakerphone that I won at a conference. Plugged into another USB port, it behaves just like a boardroom speakerphone. Skype recognizes when this device is plugged in so it bypasses the built-in microphone and speakers in favour of the increased fidelity.

Microsoft as well just released a Cloud version of its Office suite, which it calls Office 365. One of the Office 365 offerings is Microsoft Lync Online, which provides the backbone for video conferencing using software that you access from the Internet. Mike Hatfield, Nicom IT Solutions Inc.'s chief research officer, tells me that Twitter chatter on the topic indicates that many people feel Skype will be part of Office 365.

Many industry analysts seem to feel that the biggest reason Microsoft is buying Skype is for use in the Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system, to better compete in the consumer smartphone market. Skype already runs on many mobile devices, including the BlackBerry, Google Android phones and the iPhone, though some of these devices run other video conferencing applications as so then.

Partner with Nicom IT Solutions Inc

Pat d'Entremont is a partner with Nicom IT Solutions Inc., a professional services innovation company based in Halifax. He can be found at blog.nicomit.com and followed on Twitter @nicomitpat.

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