Yesterday Skype announced a new partnership arrangement with Citrix GoToMeeting that will result in easier and more capable tools for Skype users to conduct online conferences and meetings.
The existing “Skype for Business” service will be enhanced with additional features for web conferencing and improved screen sharing. Hosts of Skype-based web conferences will be able to demonstrate software and display presentations from their desktops. The services provided by GoToMeeting will be embedded within the Skype for Business service offering, with packages and prices yet to be determined.
The partnership with GoToMeeting is part of Skype’s overall strategic plan to acquire greater market share in the corporate enterprise, according to David Gurlé, general manager of enterprise operations for Skype, whose business users have long requested improved data conferencing capabilities. Another element of this strategy is the initiative to enhance Skype’s reliability and security.
For more information, see Enterprise Connect: Skype, Citrix To Partner On Conferencing in Information Week.
This piece is so very interesting bringing out some excellent aspects of this topic. It makes me wonder what the long-term results of this venture are going to be. Will Skype really become more popular among business users? I don’t know, but I thoroughly recommend anyone and everyone to have a look and check it out. Thank you so much for posting it. I will be looking for more of the same very soon!
Thanks for the kind words. I’d like to hear opinions from Skype for Business users.
It’s a big advantage for those you have been using skype, specially those who have businesses using this additional feature it will be much easier to have meetings even if your on a different location.
Great update…up until today I was using Yuuguu which was free up until today and I was looking for an alternative since they are requiring you to pay for their service now. I ran across this and was looking into Skype to take care of the screen sharing part which I use most. Thanks for the update.
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This is exciting news – we currently use Skype for Business at work and often have to resort to using GoTo Meeting when we want to use screensharing as the Skype screen sharing often seems to fail or cause connectivity problems.
Yes, I think many Skype for Business users will appreciate the enhancement. This seems to be all part of the trend toward integrated conferencing as well. I wonder whether Skype would ever license their technology to a Salesforce competitor, for example.
You need your online business to look superb , although not too too much. You don’t want it look that you spent funds frivolously or needlessly. You wish to present that you are in touch with the present technological innovation and business solutions. Likely consumers are observing your skills along with your processes all through your transactions with them. If it seems you simply decided on a free online conference provider to save some cash, may well send a bad message to potential clients. You need your web conferencing supplier decision to say that that you’re a premier company, who functions smartly and isn’t going to shell out the wrong way. You do not want to spend too much on an online conference supplier since a possible client could interpret this decision as an indication that your firm just isn’t economically dependable.
Yes, well these considerations are interesting but they don’t really apply to web conferencing services, all of which are competitive both technologically and price-wise. They have to be.
Now, if a small company were spending tens of thousands of dollars on a videoconferencing suite, that would be a different story. It wouldn’t make a lot of sense. But we’re talking about web conferencing here. It’s very inexpensive by comparison.
Skype is another amazing company that seems to know what to do at the right time. For a company started by some Baltic students, it sure has come a long way!
As a long time Skype user, I have always noticed that they are at the leading edge of video conferencing capability and this merger only makes sense as I can only assume it would diversify the features of the Skype interface or some new product which may be in development. One of the reasons I became a web developer was the idea that we could one day be completely mobile and connected via video just like we were inspired to dream about by all of Gene Rodenberry’s Star Trek series. I have been using Skype not only to instant message and skype to skype phone chat (audio), but to live screen cast my computer in order to teach or learn from other developers. I’ve tried other programs and can tell you Skype performs the best.
I look forward to seeing what comes from this merger. Will it be new features to the existing GoTo Meeting Graphical User Interface or a new product entirely? I noticed that Skype recently started promoting the capability for users to dial a local Skype phone number and connect with other users who are either talking directly into their computer’s Skype or doing the same thing on their end. I have not signed up for it yet, but I have seen the promotions on my Skype Instant Messenger screen. Does anyone know what this is or if this may have anything to do with their merger?
This sounds like a great opportunity. Getting these two together will bring a whole new meaning to “Gotomeeting. There is a lot that can be determined by the expressions on someone face when you are in a meeting, it isn’t as easy to lie to someone when they can see your face.
I have been using skype for a number of years and I have been downloading the business package which has always been free, until now, according to this news report. Am I correct to understand that the Skype business package was introduced as a free product and soon will become a premium software bundle? I am still a bit confused as to what features are being added because for as long as I have been using the free Skype package, I have been able to use features like sharing my screen / computer desktop with other people. The services mentioned in this report have already been a part of free skype for business. Is it a new improved version or did they simply slap a brand on the user interface and decide to start charging?
I would not be so quick to drink the cool aid from this Skype Go To Meeting alliance. I have been using Skype’s screen sharing service and video conferencing features for a few years and I do not see much room for improvement. I notice that most of the time, when you see large companies merge, it is often a play to increase the perception of value for the company and that usually means some other move looms on the horizon. Sure, they might dress up the user interface to perpetuate this new platform, but I am quite sure it won’t be much better in terms of performance. I find the existing features of Skype to be more than sufficient.
I am not sure what this rather new agreement between these companies means for me and my business, but I am hoping it leads to the majority of computer users – no, the majority of the population who know how to use a computer, having access and a willingness to use video as their normal form of communication. I know that the more savvy computer users do this, but they are, for the most part, limited to MAC users (because MACS some with built in cameras) and tech savvy developers and programmers. Most of the less than savvy computer users still have a sense of trepidation about using video, and instead, stick with email, because they are shy about revealing themselves, their computers are not fitted for web cams and they do not want to spend the extra money or they are intimidated be the hassle of having to configuring a plug and play web camera to their PC’s.
For the last several years, almost all laptop PCs (as well as Macs) have come with built-in webcams as standard equipment. I think lots of folks still prefer to leave their cameras off when talking on Skype simply because they can stay more casual. They don’t have to brush their hair, put on makeup, shave, clean up their room, etc., etc., and so forth.
This is great news for Skype I hope the venture works out for them. Will Skype improve their connectivity problems with this new endeavor? After they get all of the kinks worked out do you think they will ready themselves for mobile web? Everything mobile is about to really take off so I think they should. Can you connect with more than one person at a time in different locations with Skype? I think if they can get it all worked out this will be a great venture. Thanks for posting this information, keep us posted with your results.
I love the GoToMeeting format because I like being able to see what the other people are doing on their computer or power point but I am not a big fan of Skype for the simple fact that it is slow and it doesn’t keep up with the meeting like it is real time, it is a few seconds behind what is actually going on. I have often felt I can’t put my best business foot forward if the people on the other end of the meeting can see me, so my personal preference is to go with out the web cam. However that being said I do think this would be a great tool for some of the larger companies that are holding meetings over seas, with this tool you can develop a more personal relationship. Thank you for putting this information together it was very interesting and I think it will go far in the business world.
I think that this would be a good pair up (GoToMeeting and Skype)if you want to be able to see who you are talking with on line, I personally don’t care for it because the picture can sometimes be pixilated and slow to respond so it is like you are watching a low budget Japanese film where the picture has to catch up with the words. But if they can get that issue fixed it would be well worth the money to invest in something like this, until then I think I am just going to stick with the teleconferences. This is great information though and please let us know if they have improved enough that this is not the case anymore.
This would be a good pair up (GoToMeeting and Skype)if you want to be able to see who you are talking with on line, I personally don’t care for it because the picture can sometimes be pixilated and slow to respond so it is like you are watching a low budget Japanese film where the picture has to catch up with the words. But if they can get that issue fixed it would be well worth the money to invest in something like this, until then I think I am just going to stick with the teleconferences.
It’s a good move. Internet speeds are constantly climbing so quality and drop out rate can only improve. In a few years time I think we’ll all be looking back at this time wondering how on earth we managed before video conferencing, a bit like how we used to work without mobiles, or PC’s (yes I remember back that far!).
Skype is becoming pretty prominent. I would even go so far as to say they are becoming a household name due to several strategic product placement promotions on several TV news broadcasts and sport shows. I have seen a sports anchor do a segment on the local news broadcast where he joins the news desk via Skype to report on the news. I have also seen them do a similar promotion on a national TV sports call in show on ESPN where and I have also seen a live web conference on the Ellen Degeneras talk show. It would seem to me this is an effective strategy for capturing the consumer market.
I used to see Skype doing various cross promotions on the Ellen Digeneras show, but now the only show where I see people using Skype to web conference is on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show. His show uses Skype to web conference during his viewer challenges in which he web has two contestants with web cams broadcast themselves doing some crazy stunt that he mandates. Although the venue is late night entertainment comedy, their use of Skype for this segment is actually a business application of Skype’s web conferencing services.
I think this partnership is great it makes perfect sense. I have always wondered why they didn’t offer video on the GoToMeeting web site if you had a web cam they could have. But to hear that they are joining forces with Skype is great news. It is so much easier to hold a meeting with someone when you can see them, there are to many distractions when you can’t. I appreciate this news and I hope that you will keep us updated with any new things that come out in the near future.
I think this is great I read in an article that more people would be willing to invest in something like this if it was coming from one source so I think pulling their expertise together is the best thing they can do at this juncture. If they don’t do something like this then they are going to watch their business get smaller and smaller as people search out the two for one special.
I think in today’s society there are so many of these kinds of companies that offer the on-line web conferencing and video conferencing that companies are going to have to merge in order to stay in business. It really is the only thing that makes sense right now. Your article was great and you did an excellent job on the presentation.
I have been keeping an eye on this development. And since I use the consumer grade commercial Skype program every day, I tend to notice any updates or improvements they make to the interface. Rarely do I get any notifications requiring that I reinstall the program manually. But I have gotten several online updates. The most recent, significant update I recall is the installation of a banner area at the top of the interface where they broadcast announcements and advertisements. Could the implementation of ad ware for paid ads be a part of this movement? This seems like it could be a revenue stream that would raise the perceived value of the software.
You have put together some great information here. I love the GoToMeeting format because I like being able to see what the other people are doing on their computer or power point but I am not a big fan of Skype for the simple fact that it is slow and it doesn’t keep up with the meeting like it is real time, it is a few seconds behind what is actually going on.
I noticed the button sized banner ad on the left hand side of this page and followed the link to see what it was. I was intrigued to see a service that enables you to sign contract documents from your computer, but I am not quite sure if this means they are offering some device that lets you sign your signature digitally or if it is providing scanning services, which would mean you still must sign the physical document. Has anyone tried a service like this?
I think this is great, does this mean that you won’t have to have two services now to hold a web meeting? We have two right now and if we could get it down to a collaborated effort it would save us tons of money, Thank you for posting this information. Do you have any idea when this could come to fruition?
So how exactly will this work? GoToMeeting will partner with Skype so now you will be able to have the capability to see who you are having a meeting with? Are they going to offer package deals or just add features to the packages they already have in place? Will the price for GoToMeeting be more expensive then? I think it is great I just want some details.