Microsoft is beefing up it's VoIP catalogue

The software giant buys media-streams

[trillianjedi]

Microsoft has boosted its commitment to computer-to-computer Internet calling by acquiring Zurich-based VoIP provider, media-streams.com AG, to compliment newly unveiled ‘Live’ services for small businesses and consumers.

[contractoruk.com...]

Hot on the heels of the Teleo purchase:-

[teleo.msn.com...]

Microsoft plans to incorporate and expand upon Teleo’s technologies, integrating them into the MSN services infrastructure, with plans to ultimately deliver new VoIP consumer applications in future releases of MSN services, such as MSN Messenger.

We also know that they're working on low bitrate video:-

[research.microsoft.com...]

Are we going to see a Skype competitor out of Redmond shortly?

TJ

[kaled]

The problem with developing VoIP as a revenue stream is that
a) Unless it's a very cheap or free service, no one will use it
b) If it hurts the telecoms companies, they can start to use it themselves and kill off the competition.

Other than for video-conferencing (and thereby, possibly, pornography) I find it very hard to visualise a profitable market place for this sort of technology.

Ultimately, only data carriers will ever make big bucks from carrying data. (By data carriers I mean wire/fibre/satellite/cellphone companies, etc.)

Kaled.