Skype
Skype- "It´s time for a change."
I’m convinced over time, all voice communication will migrate to the Internet.
Niclas Zennström
The telephone is a 100-year-old technology. It’s time for a change. Charging for phone calls is something you did last century.
Niclas Zennström
We want to make talking over the Internet the most natural, simple thing for people all over the world to do – no matter which computer they use.
Niklas Zennström
Yes the calls are free. But you’re paying for the mobile access and that drives usage and something that drives usage is good for the operators.
Niclas Zennström
What will happen is that someone who is very good will get acquired by the big guys. Microsoft is very serious about gaining a larger slice of the Internet phone market.
Niclas Zennström
At the office, we actually don’t have a land phone line. We use Skype mostly, and mobile phones to receive calls from people not on Skype.
Niklas Zennstrom
If you can use a Web browser, you can use Skype.
Niklas Zennström
They also can combine voice with instant messaging and online file sharing.
Niclas Zennström
Skype to Skype lets you call anyone else in the world who has downloaded the Skype application on their computer or PDA, for free.
Niklas Zennström
We also have a conference call feature where up to five people can talk on one Skype call.
Niklas Zennström
Skype is for any individual who has a broadband Internet connection.
Niclas Zennström
When radio stations started playing music the record companies started suing radio stations. They thought now that people could listen to music for free, who would want to buy a record in a record shop? But I think we all agree that radio stations are good stuff.
Niklas Zennström
I think the biggest threat to us is companies like Microsoft, Yahoo and Time Warner’s AOL, because their customer base is so big.
Niclas Zennström
If you could utilize the resources of the end users’ computers, you could do things much more efficiently.
Niklas Zennström
There are different rumors every day. We don’t comment on rumors. When we make deals, we announce them.
Niklas Zennstrom
People need to access Skype wirelessly, no matter where they are, and what happens is that we’ll be taking advantage of the rollout of Internet everywhere – WiFi and WiMax in particular.
Niclas Zennström
We have just started, and if you compare the number of people using Skype to the number using a telephone network around the world, we’re still just starting.
Niklas Zennström
It is very similar to companies like Google and other internet companies. When you go and search on Google you don’t pay for that. But sometimes you click on an advert and Google makes money on that.
Niklas Zennström
We have a much higher penetration in countries like Brazil and Poland, where phone rates are high and service is hit or miss in some places.
Niklas Zennström
What we are doing is taking advantage of the broadband Internet to provide basically unlimited free calls to anyone at a higher voice quality than they can with the phone lines.
Niclas Zennström
It was more a technical proof of concept that it was possible to transfer files between two end users rather than going through servers.
Niklas Zennström
But that technology enabled the movie industry to make much more revenue. The single largest revenue source for the movie industry is videos.
Niklas Zennström
At no charge, if they both have the software installed. Or by using SkypeOut if they need to call a land line or mobile at low rates.
Niclas Zennström
We had meetings with a lot of companies. We met with News Corp, yes.
Niclas Zennström
This is a cultural problem in Europe. (People) want to keep all their comforts, all their security, vacations, all their job packages.
Niclas Zennström
…revolutionize the ease with which people can communicate through the Internet.
Niklas Zennström
Then people started using it more and more and it became the most downloaded software on the internet
Niclas Zennström
China is one of our absolutely top markets; it is a big growth market for broadband.
Niklas Zennström
With the release of our new software, it’s never been easier for people to talk to one another for free, and now they can see each other with video as well.
Niklas Zennström
Until now, we’ve been primarily focused on PCs. But our customers want a more ubiquitous experience. And, with a service for mobile phones, we plan to deliver this.
Niklas Zennström
Another differentiator is that Skype is free and simple to set up, and it costs us virtually nothing for a new user to join the Skype network, which is why we can offer the service for free.
Niclas Zennström
And the VCR did the same thing: the movie industry thought nobody would ever watch movies any more.
Niklas Zennström
People do business in Sweden and it goes well; they may try launching the product in Denmark instead of considering a global business plan. On the financing side, VCs require too much downside protection and are not willing enough to take risks.
Niklas Zennstrom
