Skype

= Skype = toc

Skype is a free Web application that uses VOIP (voice-over-Internet-protocol), allowing "peer-to-peer" users to make calls from Skype to Skype, one-to-one video calls, instant messaging, and screen sharing.

History
Skype was founded by two ambitious entrepreneurs Niklas Zennstroem and Janus Friis in 2003 where they incorporated VOIP into a free service. VOIP calls are placed over the Internet, but the advantage to Skype is that users can call other users anywhere in the world for free. VOIP had been active for nearly ten years, but Skype used VOIP to convert the speaker's voice into a "digital data package." Instead of relying on a server, Skype allowed user-to-user calls via their own computer and phone lines. Upon its launch, Friis announced, "We hope that one day, instead of people saying 'I'll call you,' people will say 'I'll Skype you.'" Zeenstroem and Friis sold Skype to eBay in 2005 for $2.6 billion. In January 2006, Skype introduced video conferencing for both Windows and Macs. Since 2011, Skype is now owned by Microsoft, with 663 million registered users.

Why Use Skype?
Skype's most advantageous feature is it's free for registered users: free to download, and free to use. Its operability is easy

and users can create contact lists, use video calling, instant messaging, screen sharing, file sending, WiFi, and voicemail. The sound quality is crisp and clear-far better than a [|cell phone] or landline. Skype does not allow calls to non-Skype users for free, but one of its price packages offers a "pay as you go" service from 2.3 cents a minute. A "subscription" service for unlimited calls to Europe, North America, and the World is also available dependent on the number of minutes needed. Skype caters to businesses, from small, medium, to an enterprise level. For the small business, Skype allows cheap calls, easier collaboration, and global reach. For the medium business, Skype advertises creating business accounts using it's "Skype Manager." For the large enterprise, Skype proposes to help "large organizations communicate and collaborate, whether that is between desks and departments, cities and continents, or even just office and home" (scroll down to see the [|video for Maxim] using Skype for its communication needs).

**Controversy**
A number of security issues have followed Skype since its inception. One was does Skype impose risks for its users' computers and networks? In October 2005, it was discovered that hackers could run devious code on computers running vulnerable versions of Skype. Other concerns include:
 * Skype records data about calls, but not the message contents. Hackers can gain this information if they can access a user's computer
 * Skype can consume other users' bandwidth, which is not readily apparent
 * Skype requires the interface of names rather than unique IDs, which means people can be "impersonated" in the user list
 * Skype downloads are not made through a secure connection
 * While Skype does encrypt communication between its users, the head of its security division pointedly said, "We provide a secure means of communication. I will not say if we are listening or not."