Mobile video calls the next frontier, says Skype head
Making video calls from a mobile phone to TV sets or computers will be the next frontier for information technology, the head of Internet telephony pioneer Skype said Tuesday.
Chief executive Josh Silverman told a technology conference in Singapore that communication was moving from a "hardware-based" industry to one driven by software allowing people to keep in touch using a wider range of devices.
"What's the next frontier? I believe it's about ubiquity," Silverman told delegates to the CommunicAsia 2010 technology conference and trade exhibition in Singapore.
"It's about allowing you to communicate whenever, wherever and however you like. At Skype, we envision a world where communication flows like water.
Skype's free Internet video and audio calls using desktop and laptop computers have connected millions of people worldwide, from business executives to migrant labourers.
Skype offers more sophisticated services to users for a fee, allowing it to generate revenues of 716 million dollars last year, up 30 percent over the previous year.
Currently, mobile video calls using the system can only be made using certain handsets such as Nokia's N900 smartphone and Apple's iPhone, but the company said it plans to introduce more platforms.
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