Where does Skype fit into the video calling landscape?

VINCENT TEETSOV

Social distancing has put increased pressure on telecommunications software and has made people around the world reconsider what work is possible to complete from home. How can we most effectively keep in communication with colleagues, and what about family members?

For those who are able to work at home, video conference applications have become a lifeline, especially since March 25th, when 14 day self-isolation has been required for anyone entering Canada by air, sea, or land.

By the end of February, video conferencing app Zoom increased its number of users by 2.22 million since the start of 2020. Cisco Webex, one of Zoom’s competitors, expanded two and a half times from February to the end of March. Then there’s Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Google Hangouts – to name just a few.

But what about the beloved, Estonian-programmed app Skype? Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström created Skype in 2003, in cooperation with three Estonian developers: Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu, and Jaan Tallinn. Skype was one of the most powerful Voice over Internet Protocol technology developments of the early 2000s. According to CNET, it was the 6th most downloaded app from 2010 to 2019.

Skype was then acquired by eBay in 2005, and then most recently by Microsoft in 2011. Though development and a sizable proportion of operations are still based in Estonia, the handiwork of its original creators is missing. With changes made to Skype’s interface and features over the years, some users began to consider the plethora of other options out there.

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