Can Skype beat the hype?
Although Skype, which provides voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony services and PC-to-PC calling, turns two years old on August 29, it remains unclear what kind of business this relative newcomer will turn out to be. Skype could remain a mere fad for techies, become a next-generation communications platform or evolve into the next eBay or Google, say Wharton experts. What’s certain, however, is that Skype, which has offices in Estonia, London, San Francisco, Korea and Japan, is worth watching. The company touches on a handful of key trends–peer-to-peer technology (using the computing power of a distributed network of PCs), the commoditization of telephone service and the viral nature of Internet marketing.
