Information Research Weblog

Skype has just released the latest version of its software and now claims that almost 65 million downloads have been made. Whenever I log-on it seems that one-and-a-half million other people are simulataneously logged on, not that the number of people seems to make any difference. It's a subjective matter of course, but I think that the new software improves the already excellent quality.

Currently, I'm using Skype to keep in touch with colleagues with whom I'm working on a research proposal: as this involves people in Bulgaria, Slovakia, Poland, Spain, Portugal, France, Sweden and the UK, regular telephone communication is clearly desirable and if one can do it freely, the telecomms costs are kept down.

Of course, VoIP is more than Skype and the telecomms providers are well into the game: for example, NetworkingPipeline reports that: "The number of cable VoIP subscribers rocketed 900 percent from 2003 to 2004" that is, from 50,000 to almost 500,000 - a long way behind Skype, but, of course, you have to pay for it :-)

Skype, by the way, can now be used by those using Linux or Mac OS X