February 21, 2006, 2:21 PM — James Gaskin recently spoke with Michael Gough, author of "Skype Me!" Following is an edited transcript of that conversation. You may also listen to the original interview here.
James Gaskin: Michael Gough is a network computer security consultant, and he is the lead author on a book called Skype Me! Published by Syngress. He also runs the skypetips.com website which, not surprisingly, is all about Skype and tips and probably a lot of the research you did for the book, winds up here on this website.
Michael Gough: That is correct. Yeah, it was kind of take all the minutia of news and blogs and everything and say all right, what do people practically need to know? And that's what the website's chartered after.
Gaskin: I imagine you get a lot of feedback from the skypetips.com website. Do you have a number one, two or three question that comes up more often than others that you'd like to talk about?
Gough: I would say one of the top questions I get, of course, is using Skype without a computer. That's one that comes up quite a bit, like using an ATA, or I don't want to leave my computer on, or things like that. That seems to be a pretty popular subject. I think, moving towards what we see with Vonage, and Packet8, very similar to that kind of technology.
Gaskin: That's one of the things that aggravated me early on at this, is that press reports would lump broadband phones and under that they would lump Skype and Vonage, and Packet8, and not make any difference between the two. And I think there's a considerable difference between the two. I particularly think Vonage and their competitors are kind of evolutionary for phone service. And I think Skype is really revolutionary in their approach to telephonic communications. Would you agree with that? Can you add to my one level of understanding, and add some more to that?
Gough: Yeah. I think that's actually one of the best descriptions I've heard, to be honest, I really like that. I think I'm going to steal it, if you don't mind.
Gaskin: Give me credit now and then, at least.
Gough: I'll give you credit, I just did. Yeah, I think that's a great example because companies like Vonage are pretty much gearing what most people would see as a replacement to Ma Bell, as we call it here in the United States. And you're right; it's an evolution from the Ma Bell and the way we're used to doing things to a new way of doing things. Skype's driven revolutionary, as you call it, driven a change in the industry to where Telephonica down in Mexico has now offered a video telephone device, as is the French telecom, because they see users leaving their old telephone Ma Bell space for things like Skype and Vonage. And so, they're now trying to keep those customers, who have seen British telecom lower their prices, specifically to meet or beat those of Skype and estimated a loss of $4 billion to voice over IP telephony. And so, yes, revolutionary, Skype without a doubt. It's changing the products we see. It's changing the way we use this stuff. And it's changing the way we see people, as well. The ability in the API that they're allowing these people to connect, you hear a lot of these other people trying to be Skype killers, like Jajah and GoogleTalk; though GoogleTalk's another interesting concept. They sit back and wait for people, instead of going out and getting them like Skype does. But, these people are chomping at the bit to get on Skype's API, to develop product software, plug-ins, to basically take Skype to that revolutionary new use and application for it.
Gaskin: Now, is Skype's proprietary format and their bypassing of SIP, is that going to cause a long-term problem, or do you think they'll come to a meeting of minds with the SIP people before long?
