Barriers to Adoption

Despite numerous requests, both Microsoft and Skype are unwilling to reveal whether or not other parties can be capable of intercepting Skype conversations. It does not take much imagination to realize the potential ramifications if this were a possibility. There is no doubt a plethora of private details discussed over Skype that corporations would rather not be gleaned by outsiders.

Another concern is the unpredictable call quality, with the risk of a poor connection increasing as more people are added to the conversation. A static, unsteady reception of another's conversation is nearly impossible to decipher and could greatly hamstring any video conference.

Yet another possible barrier to adoption is the lack of physical infrastructure. A switchboard for handling calls, or even the ability to transfer calls are completely absent from Skype. Their resolution to avoiding hard infrastructure is in itself a concern: the terms of use for anyone installing Skype includes a section that gives Skype the ability to use your computer as a node to funnel their traffic through. This could pose all sorts of security concerns for the user.

Finally, Skype is devoid of any monitoring tools which means that the IT department is totally in the dark regarding Skype usage. Enterprise level videoconferencing software is equipped with just such tools, allowing the IT manager to keep an eye on how the software is being used and to make appropriate decisions based on that information.


"When voice over the public internet works, it is great, but when it is bad, it is appalling, and business users will not tolerate poor voice services when they are conducting important company business."
-Bruce Everest