Skype and other VoIP Technologies
Presented by Kathleen RitchieCOMP 1631 – Winter 2011
Mount Allison University
Skype is a software used to make voice and video calls over the internet.
It doesn’t stop there, it has many other features that users can utilize for a fee or quite often for free!
What is Skype?
• Voice and video calls
• Voicemail
• Instant Messaging
• Text Messages
• Calls to landlines and mobile phone
• Screen Sharing
• Send Files
• Video Conferencing
Features
Skype FactsFounded in 2003 by Niklas Zennström and Janus
Friis and developed by Ahti Heinla , Priit Kasesalu and Jaan Tallinn
The headquarters is in Luxenbourg, however, most of the development team is in Tallin, Estonia
Owned by an investment group by the name of Silver Lake. Included in this group are some familiar names such as eBay and Canadian Pension Plan Investment
Skype reported 124 million users per month in the second quarter of 2010
There are currently 83 jobs available with Skype world wide!
The Technology Behind Skype
Skype uses a technology referred to as Internet telephony, peer-to-peer, P2P, IP telephony, broadband telephony, voice over broadband and many others.
For the purpose of this presentation we are going to refer to it as VoIP.
The Technology Behind Skype -continued
Skype also uses a technology called Peer-to-Peer. Skype.com explains: “A true P2P system, in our opinion, is one where
all nodes in a network join together dynamically to participate in traffic routing-, processing- and bandwidth intensive tasks that would otherwise be handled by central servers”.
For the purpose of this presentation, we are going to focus on VoIP
What is VoIP?Voice Over Internet ProtocolVoIP allows you to make call over the internet
instead of over a traditional telephone, also referred to as Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).
Can be used to call local numbers, other computers, all by using your computer (with microphone and sound card) or your home phone with a VoIP adapter
How it WorksIt converts your analogue voice signal to a
digital one and transmits it over the internetHigh Speed internet is required! As well as,
Software such as SkypeMicrophone (sometimes camera)Or telephone with VoIP adapter
How it Works – continued
A brief video about VoIP
Consequences of VoIP - ProsThe costs to the provider and the user are significantly
less than PSTNThe infrastructure is already in place
All that is needed is an internet connection which the user pays an internet provider for
There is no such thing as long distance because it is all just “internet”It is because of this that it is possible that area codes will
become obsoleteIt converges voice, image and dataOffers a portable telephone number
Makes moving much easierCan be used while travelling
Consequences of VoIP - ConsThere is trouble with 911 calls
Your location cannot be know unless your VoIP provider, ie Vonage, has your home address on file
911 calls made are automatically rerouted to a national emergency dispatch then forward to your local emergency dispatch centre
Service being interrupted by power outagesThe threat of viral attacks
Such as call flooding attacksIt threatens companies that offer traditional phone
serviceIt isn’t a guaranteed that a call can be traced to a
specific location
Companies offering VoIP services – to name a few
What is to comeVoIP over mobile phone becoming increasingly
popular (both voice and video)Firmer government regulationIncreasing number of users and increasing
popularityMore competition in the VoIP market, therefore
offering consumers more choice and better ratesIncreasing business useIncreased security threats with increased useWhat are your predictions?
References About Skype (February, 2011). Skype.com. Retrieved on February 1, 2011
from http://about.skype.com/ DBJ's Most-Read Stories 2010: OoVoo vs. Skype: Tech firm gaining ground on
larger rival (February 1, 2011). Dayton Business Journal. Retrieved onFebruary 1, 2011 from http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/feature/topread-stories-2010-2.html
Rabeau, Yves (May 2005). Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP): A UniqueOpportunity for Genuine Competition in Local Telephone Service.Retrieved on January 21, 2011 fromhttp://www.videotron.com/en/pdf/etude_rabeau.pdf
Sudhir R. Ahuja, Robert Ensor (2004). VoIP: What is it good for? FromACMQueue. Retrieved on January 21, 2011 fromhttp://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=1028897
Voice Over Internet Protocol (2010). Federal Commutations Commission.Retrieved on February 1st, 2011 from http://www.fcc.gov/voip/
Vonage. Retrieved on January 30, 2011 from http://www.vonage.ca/ What is Voip? (September, 2010). Retrieved on February 2, 2011 from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsgWz_0Ul_w
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