September 2007

On September 22nd, 2007, Skype reached its 20 millionth registered user in North America, doubling from 10 million registered users in just over the last 12 months.

Or think about it this way — nearly 10 percent of the more than 232 million Internet users in North America have now downloaded and tried out Skype.

Three other facts about ten percent, because it’s Friday:

• We don’t actually use just 10% of our brains, despite popular mythology
• According to Google, 10% of websites are dangerous
• In most parts of Europe, a 10% tip in a restaurant is a way of showing appreciation, believe it or not…

I’m writing this in Prague where Paul Amery, who heads the Skype Developer Program, last night announced the winning entry in Skype’s 2007 Mashup Competition: PamFax from Germany-based PamConsult.

A mashup is a software application or service that combines data from more than one source into an integrated experience. It has parallels in the practice of merging together two or more songs for something entirely new and cool. Think of Christina Aguilera’s vocals from “Genie in a Bottle” merged into the Strokes’ “Hard to Explain”.

Entries to the mashup competition were judged against these criteria: Skypeness, usability, coolness, stability, usefulness, flair and layout. The winner, PamFax, allows you to send a fax to any fax machine in the world and easily pay with your Skype credit. (I realize the previous sentence used the word “fax” three times. Sorry ‘bout that.) Registration is not needed, nor is pre-payment. Optionally, you get fax status notifications via Skype chat, SMS or email. And there’s one more little cool touch: you can look up where the recipient is located, using Google Maps.

The judging panel consisted of Paul Amery, Antoine Bertout, Lester Madden, Damon Williams, Adam Trachtenberg, Phil Wolff, Jim Courtney, John Musser, Jack Dorsey and Julian Bond. (Also see Jim Courtney’s excellent extended mashup competition post on Skype Journal.)

All mashup entries can be found here.

I’ve been told that the number eight is considered “good luck” among the Chinese. And why not? After all, 3, the mobile operator, has announced that its X-Series mobile-broadband package has now reached Ireland. Making it country number eight where the X-Series is available. The roll-out started in the UK last December, and has since made a mark in Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Italy, Australia and Hong Kong.

To Ireland-based Skype users, this has a very real consequence. The X-Series brings unlimited free Skype-to-Skype conversations and some of life‘s other necessities to their very pockets. And that’s pretty cool.

If this all sounds like a load of mumbojumbo, here’s some more background. The X-series is a flat-rate mobile-broadband package, replicating the established “all you can eat” home broadband pricing model. X-series customers pay a monthly fee for access to a suite of internet services on their mobiles. As Skype’s nicely tucked into that suite, users make unlimited internet calls with other Skype users while on the move.

(updated at 16.30 GMT with Symantec reference)

(update at 17.15 GMT: FSecure now calls the virus W32/Skipi.A. Symantec has named it W32.Pykspa.D.)

(update at 9 am GMT on Sep. 11: Our security team is actively engaging with domain owners to shut down malicious websites that are being used to spread the virus.)

The new week has started with a bang. And not the kind of bang we like.

Here’s what Kurt Sauer, Skype’s Chief Security Officer, has to say:

“Skype has learned that a computer virus called “w32/Ramex.A” is affecting users of Skype for Windows. Users whose computers are infected with this virus will send a chat message to other Skype users asking them to click on a web link that can infect the computer of the person who receives the message.

“We would like to encourage our users to ensure that they are running anti-virus software on their computers and to download the latest anti-virus updates in order to provide the best protection against this and other viruses.”

More information can be found at heartbeat.skype.com. Wishing you a virus-free week.

It was about ten weeks ago when we last talked about new SkypeIn countries on this blog. Back then, we hit the sweet eighteen. SkypeIn countries, that is.

Now, we’ve added two more. Mexico and Ireland. The country that gave us Pancho Villa has a population of over 108 million. When the 6 million Irish are added, we have a crowd that packs a punch. And deserves SkypeIn numbers.

Which is exactly what they’ve got now. Enjoy!

For those who think SkypeIn is just an orthographically challenged way of saying things like “Gone Skypin’”, I have this little explainer: When you have a SkypeIn number, your friends who don’t have Skype can call a regular phone number. And you will receive the call on your computer or any other piece of gear that runs Skype.

As Borat would say, “Is nice!”