Skype to encourage software plug-ins
Published: 02 Sep 2005 12:00 BST
Skype is planning to launch a software certification programme this autumn to provide software developers with "Skype certified" logos for software they develop to extend the company's core VoIP offering.
Over the past year Skype has been building up its developer network by launching an API and, eight months ago, a hardware certification programme for makers of USB phones and other hardware that works with its VoIP software.
"We have about 80 hardware products certified so far," said Lenn Pryor, developer platform product manager at Skype, adding that a "small fee" will be charged for software certification. "This is not a money-generating operation for us — we just need to cover our costs," he said.
Pryor said that Skype now has over 400 developers. This week the company announced the winner of its first developer competition, Jyve, for its eponymous plug-in. Jyve adds call-forwarding and auto-responding to Skype, as well as synchronisation between Web browsers on the machines of two users who are talking over Skype, and several other features. Skype launched a beta on Wednesday with call forwarding. "[Jyve] beat us to that," said Pryor. "They are very innovative."
Jyve, based in Canada, won €2,000 (£1,366) for its entry.
Runners-up included DialMP3, which allows users to download music from their PC to a mobile phone using Skype; a personal assistant called Pamela Basic which automatically answers calls and instant messages; Gizmoz, which adds animated talking heads to the Skype application, a video-conferencing plug-in called Spontania Video4IM; and Jybe, a document-sharing plug-in.
"We gave a special mention to a couple of developers who call themselves Khaos Labs," said Pryor, "for developing a COM interface to help other Windows developers build Skype plug-ins."
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