Can Skype turn Skype Lite into Skype as a Platform? One path to a developer-friendly Skype. Phil Wolff, editor, Skype Journal. November 2009

1. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Can Skype turn Skype Lite
into Skype as a Platform?
One path to a developer-friendly Skype
Phil Wolff, editor, Skype Journal
November 2009

2. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Skype Lite lets you chat
and call from non-smart
mobile phones

3. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
How Does it Work?

4. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Skype
Lite
Client
Mobile Network
Skype Lite software runs on mobiles

5. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Skype
Lite
Client
Voice over
Voice
Channel
Data over
Data
Channel
Mobile Network
Skype voice goes over
the mobile carrier’s
voice channel.
Data goes over the
mobile carrier’s data
channel.

6. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Skype
Lite
Client
Voice over
Voice
Channel
Data over
Data
Channel
Stream
Split/Merge
Skype Servers
Mobile Network
Skype servers join voice+data

7. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Skype
Lite
Client
Voice over
Voice
Channel
Data over
Data
Channel
Stream
Split/Merge
Skype Servers
Naked
Skype
S
Mobile Network
The joined
voice/data
goes to a
“naked”
Skype
client
running on
a Skype
server

8. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Skype
P2P
Cloud
Skype
Lite
Client
Voice over
Voice
Channel
Data over
Data
Channel
Stream
Split/Merge
Skype Servers
Mobile Network
Naked
Skype
connects to
the Skype
cloud
S
Naked
Skype

9. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Skype-to-
Skype
Skype
Lite
Client
Voice over
Voice
Channel
Data over
Data
Channel
Stream
Split/Merge
Skype Servers
Mobile Network
The cloud connects you to Skypers
S
Naked
Skype
Skype
P2P
Cloud

10. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
SkypeOut
SkypeIn
Skype-to-
Skype
Skype
Lite
Client
Voice over
Voice
Channel
Data over
Data
Channel
Stream
Split/Merge
Skype Servers
Mobile Network
…and to phone numbers
S
Naked
Skype
Skype
P2P
Cloud

11. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Skype
P2P
Cloud
SkypeOut
SkypeIn
Skype-to-
Skype
Skype
Lite
Client
Voice over
Voice
Channel
Data over
Data
Channel
Stream
Split/Merge
Skype Servers
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
Naked
Skype
S
Mobile Network
There are many “naked” instances

12. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Skype
P2P
Cloud
SkypeOut
SkypeIn
Skype-to-
Skype
Skype
Lite
Client
Voice over
Voice
Channel
Data over
Data
Channel
Admin Layer
Stream
Split/Merge
Skype Servers
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
Naked
Skype
S
Mobile Network
So there’s a management layer

13. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Skype
P2P
Cloud
SkypeOut
SkypeIn
Skype-to-
Skype
Skype
Lite
Client
Voice over
Voice
Channel
Data over
Data
Channel
Admin Layer
Stream
Split/Merge
Skype Servers
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
Naked
Skype
S
Mobile Network
That’s how Skype Lite works

14. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
SKYPE LITE DOES FOUR VALUABLE
THINGS

15. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Hosts a “naked Skype” client
• Lightweight – without video, UI, cruft
• Reliable and Efficient
• Unified API

16. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Separates user experience
from the network
• Teams can build different UIs for different
mobile devices
• Lowers compute and networking burden on
mobiles
• Easy to update everyone’s engine without
updating clients
• Metrics on usage rates to inform design and
operations

17. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Defines a protocol
• Protocol connects mobile thin clients to the
Skype Gateway server
• Includes everything the mobile Skype client
can do (presence, chat, voice calls, profile
editing)

18. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Scales the Gateway like a cloud
• Efficient:
– Many Lite clients with few Skype servers
• Flexible:
– Build and destroy instances with demand
• Location aware:
– Position instances to cut latency

19. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Skype Lite is a private platform
1. Hosts a “naked Skype” client
2. Separates user experience from the network
3. Defines a protocol between the mobile thin
client and the Skype Gateway server
4. Scales the Gateway like a cloud

20. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
This creates an opportunity

21. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
What if we let other parties use
Skype’s Gateway?
Gateway
S
Flash Apps
Web Apps
Business Systems
Smartphone Apps
Embedded Devices
Desktop Apps
Operating Systems

22. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Skype can support more modes
Great for partners
Voice
Chat
Presence
Mood
Video
3D Spatial
Data

23. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Skype could unify it’s APIs
• Making/taking Skype sessions
• Skype calls, IM, file transfer
• Skype account creation, deletion
• Skype profile editing
• Skype control panel for organizations
• Skype Credit deposits and payments
• Skype ID authentication (Login with Skype)
• More to come…

24. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
To complete the platform
• Find alternate means to distribute
– Skype’s Encryption binary
– Skype’s and third-party codecs
– Media assets (e.g. emoticons)
• SDKs for popular programming languages,
delivery systems

25. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
What do you get?

26. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Skype Inside

27. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
“Just Add Skype”
• Millions of programmers can add Skype to
their toolkits
• Metered access to the gateway
• Commissions for driving revenue to Skype

28. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Into what
would you like to pour
some Skype?

29. Phil Wolff, Skype Journal 2009
Phil Wolff
Skype:evanwolf
pwolff@dijest.com
+1-510-444-8234
http://SkypeJournal.com
http://twitter.com/evanwolf
http://twitter.com/skypejournal
http://www.linkedin.com/in/philwolff