Skype’s litigation woes with eBay had businesses a bit worried. Funding Skype in the enterprise looked risky with the potential that a judge could at some point pull the code base out from under Skype and leave businesses stranded.
But that’s not an issue anymore. According to Network World, Skype now has rights to the code that is essential for the service to run. That means Skype for business is a green light for the companies seeking to use the VOIP service.
Last month, eBay agreed to sell Skype to a consortium that included the founders, Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis. As part of the deal, Skype retains the technology that would be required to service business users.
Using the Skype network can save companies and organizations millions of dollars per year in telecommunications costs. Call centers, international calls and a host of other services can be transferred to the Skype VOIP network.
Skype is making a big play in the corporate market. Earlier this year, the company announced Skype for SIP, which gives businesses the capability to hook a company’s SIP infrastructure into the Skype network.
The beta program is underway with several PBX providers, including Cisco and Shoretel.
Still, the biggest issue is better integration. As one analyst said to Network World:
“It’s a game changer,” said Irwin Lazar, an analyst with Nemertes Research. “The level of frustration trying to get SIP to work can be enormous.”