Skype Developer Zone Blog

Cucku Backup
A 'collective backup' tool that enables users to backup their files into each others' computers, just like cuckoo lays eggs to different nests. User can send a request to friend to host one's files in his/her machine; when accepting it, friend can specify how many gigabytes s/he allocates to the other for the backup in one's PC. When both parties are online and running Skype and Cucku Backup, they can back up to and restore their files from each other's computer. Actually backup can be set automatic to some time; when the other party is offline, Cucku waits for him/her to come online and starts backing up then. Also, Cucku Backup can be used just locally, without copying files to any other computer.
For more information, see http://www.cucku.com

Officede for Skype
Officede for Skype is an operation management tool for offices, to manage employees' Skype usage. It consists of three different installers, one is installed to manager's PC, the second is installed to all the other PCs (clients) that manager wants to control. Manager can set different policies for all the clients and also group clients. Available policies are prohibiting importing, adding and sending contacts, also prohibiting Skype users search and file transfers, talking and chatting with unregistered users, changing Skype settings and SkypeIn and SkypeOut calls. Manager controls clients via TCP/IP. The third installer, Web Option, is optional, manager can specify a web server there and use it to control the network remotely, without being in LAN at all. However, for this case IIS must be set up first.
Officede for Skype is distributed on CD-ROM, so it is not downloadable from the Internet. For more information, see http://officede.net/en/

On Monday 10th November hiogi launched the first community-based Q&A solution for Skype.

"hiogi for Skype" is the world's first question and answer service that enables users to ask for advice by simply typing a question into their Skype chat window. Each question receives an accurate answer from the online community. The accuracy is ensured by a 6-eye-principle.

I tried it out myself. The registration is really very easy. And I typed my first question

[11/11/08 4:50:48 PM] Halina Mugame: ask what is skype?

[11/11/08 4:56:52 PM] hiogi:  Hey, check out the new answer....

Answer: Skype is a software that allows users to make telephone calls over the Internet. Additional features: instant messaging and asking hiogi

Cool! It didn't took long

But how exactly all the questions get answered, how big is community and what are the future plans for hiogi, lets find out from Björn Behrendt the CEO of hiogi?

Question get answered by the hiogi community, which is open for everyone. hiogis do not get paid for the answers, because they like to learn, help and take part in answer battles. It is fun. Try it.

hiogi is a technological market leader in providing free and accurate answers to mobile phone users. hiogi wants to become a convenient and much more personal source for information than search engines. Any technology on mobile phones is supported, e.g. hiogi for Skype mobile, iPhone app, mobile web, text messaging, twitter, email from PDAs or widgets...and much more to come.

The community has over 10.000 members and any question in English or German is being answered within minutes. The archive already contains over 30.000 questions for everyone to read - similar to wikipedia, but with a focus on short adhoc answers. For the time being we were mainly active in Germany (www.hiogi.de), and just made the move to go internationally with (www.hiogi.com) and the new hiogi for Skype solution.

We need a manager to help drive forward the Skype Developer Community within our new Skype Platform Team. This will be a really exciting role for the right candidate.

So, SDP is hiring....

Your challenge is to drive the Skype Community program that moves the new platform forward, compliments our platform product investments and ultimately delights our partner community and users. Your success will be measured by your ability to work closely with the product teams to develop a comprehensive developer marketing plan, and work with our marketing, product, and business development teams to evangelize Skype's tools, development environment, and unique value proposition to the development community.

You will be part of the newly formed Skype Platform team whose mission is to lead the adoption of Skype's Platform with developers and ISVs. The team is resourced and chartered to secure the future of the Skype Platform with developer audiences that span corporate and commercial developers, device developers, next generation developers in startups, students and social developers that writes plug-ins, widgets and mash-up applications today.

Key Responsibilities:

* Defining and articulating Skype's developer value proposition across multiple audiences including professional and non-professional developers, ISV, Online service providers, Operators and OEMs.
* Performing deep technical and business analysis of competing platforms and technologies and establishing best practices based his/her the previous experience and implementations at similar organizations.
* Integrating with business development and program management teams within the division and across the company to align product priorities, market needs and opportunities.
* Work closely with the regional and subsidiary teams, partner teams, and marketing teams across the company in order to speak with one voice to the developer community through existing and new channels. Collaborate with marketing communications team to broaden developer and rich application messaging.
* Develop & define specific outreach mechanisms (web, partner channels, etc.), to connect with developer segments and ISVs.
* Organize and drive developer outreach at events.

Required Skills and Experience:

* We are looking for a seasoned professional with a technological background. Formal education in engineering, mathematics, or physics is considered a valuable asset. Graduate level education in management or engineering is also desirable. Hands on experience in software development, particularly around open source or other development programs from third parties are also something we would be looking for. Previous experience managing a Community of Software Developers is fundamental.
* You will be responsible for managing a team of professionals that will support your programs and plans to create a significant and long lasting impact on the community of Skype Software developers. We are looking for a thought leader that can also motivate and raise the enthusiasm of all Skype developers. This is a position with lots of visibility outside of Skype and experience managing media and driving public events is critical.

To apply click here.

Basically this is the same product as OnState ACD that was certified in February, both use the same environment. The main enhancements here are user-specific routing, dial-by-extension of incoming calls and possibility to automatically call back visitors when an agent becomes available.
For more information, see http://www.on-state.com/virtual-pbx.html and http://tools.on-state.com/Supervisor/OnStateACDAdminHelp.htm

As part of our growth strategy we are looking at products that we have already launched since before and want to realize the full potential of them.

One of the products we are looking into right now is the +99 product for voice services. This product used to be used mostly as a test platform and also for free services. However we realize it can be used in many different ways and we are looking into expanding its reach by using it for paid for services as well.

As part of this expansion, we will need to update a database. This update should go smoothly but as the case is in most technical projects, things could also jam. Therefore we want to ask all partners that are currently running services/projects with us using the +99 range to make a list of their number ranges and get back to us so we can update our information accordingly and also make sure their services do not get interrupted during our database update.

We would also like to have a contact person to monitor the numbers at the partners end and report to us as soon as any disruption is detected.

Skype contact: Rouzbeh Pasha and/or Antoine Bertout

A tool for collaboration that is mainly designed for sharing files. User can create a "conference room", specify whether participants can add their own files and invite another participants or remain anonymous instead, then add one's Skype contacts to the room and finally upload files. More participants can be invited later on, invitations are sent via Skype chat and/or e-mail. Host can also share one's screen with participants.

For more information, see http://www.innerpass.com

In August our star Developer is Don Kennedy AKA TheUberOverLord.

Don is one of Skype's veteran developers who has among other things helped many others to get on track with the Skype API. We have asked some questions from Don - go and find out!

Developer Spotlight is new permanent topic in Dev Zone starting May 2008.
The idea for this topic is to bring out our bright and hardworking SDP Developers and Partners to credit and let the world know about them

Our first developer under Spotlight was bopper. He is 20 year old student from Japan and his twitter4skype was Skype 2007 Mashup winner in Asia.

A straightforward call recorder. User can choose whether to record both sides or oneself only, also whether to save both parties' talk in separate files, and audio format. During a call user can see statistics (how long recorded, how big file already and how much buffer is in use) and add notes to call.
For more information, see http://www.callburner.com

Version 8.07 of the Skype Software Product Certification Test Specification is now live. From now on, all new software certification requests will be tested against this version.

Compared to earlier specs, this version is much shorter (six pages against six multi-page documents). And even though the language is said to be a bit "lawyerish", this new edition should be easier to understand.

Perhaps the most important change is that we've removed priority 2 and priority 3 requirements -- everything that remained in the spec is now priority 1. Your application has got to meet all the requirements, or it will simply fail the test.

Discussion draft 1 of the upcoming version of software certification specs is now available on DevZone.

This revision is a complete rewrite of the specs. Instead of six separate documents the entire test specification now consists of just six pages. We've dropped scores of priority 2 and priority 3 requirements, so everything that remained should now be considered P1, meaning "mandatory".

We're also going to give your user documentation and promotional materials much more importance than before. Effectively, the new rule is that you have to keep your promises -- if your users can reasonably expect certain functionality to be present in your product and it isn't, then there's no way for the product to become Skype Certified.

Visit the DevZone to learn more about the proposed changes and to read the discussion draft.