Skype purchased by Microsoft and then the problems start

We're thinking ... ecommerce

So the story is something like this. At the beginning of May there are rumors that both Facebook and Google are considering buying skype. The technology press is enjoying writing all of the potential senarios up.

It's easy to see how either of these two companies could make use of the telecomunication technlogy Skype has created. Facebook's chat facility isn't that good but with Skype it creates options. Like wise, Google hasn't really penetrated all the areas it could, in the USA yes, but in europe and the rest of the world, less so.

The from the blind side on the 9th of May we hear that Microsoft is to pay $8.5 Billion for Skype, who, what, how did that happen. So the dust settles and we think ok, Microsoft and Skype do the "business as usual" presentation, but how often have we heard this before.

Now to the real reason for the post ... roll on a few weeks and what do we have ... 26th May ... a global Skype outage. I doubt the two events are connected but it's hardly the best start to the relationship.

• http://www.bbc.co.uk - Skype hit by global service crash
• http://www.microsoft.com - Microsoft to buy Skype (CASH)

UPDATE: 30th May

It seems Skype have really taken their eye off the prize. Only days after they announced the deal with Microsoft it turns out that they permitted a rogue peice of code to be installed from one of their partners. In a statement from Skype:

It has come to our attention that concerns have been expressed from Skype users over the update delivered to Skype Extras for Windows by Easybits software.

The software is provided by our partner EasyBits, and is part of the Skype Extras Manager. The Extras Manager has been included in Windows releases of our software since 2006. This latest update from EasyBits included elements of their desktop games organizer in error, but it neither installs nor un-installs correctly. This update has been disabled while we work with them to correct the problems and user experience.

What the statement dosent address is how the extra from Easybits managed to be inserted and included in a Skype release without going though full quality control. No matter how you look at this, it is bad, and the press statement from Skype dosen't even get close to answering questions or giving me confidence. 

• http://www.zdnet.com/ - Days after being bought by Microsoft, Skype starts installing crapware on Windows systems without consent

People have grown to depend on Skype, and an extended incident like this does the company (and now Microsoft) no favours.

UPDATE: 7th June

Well Skype really are suffering at the moment, yet another issue for the communications company.

• http://www.pcworld.com/ - "Millions of Skype users were having trouble on Tuesday (today) signing into the application, less than two weeks after the company published software updates for Windows and Mac computers to fix a similar problem."