(Luxembourg 31 August 2005) – Skype, the pioneering Global Internet Communications Company which makes it possible for anyone with an Internet connection to make free high-quality phone calls, has awarded Jyve the first prize in Skype’s hotly-contested first developer competition. More than 100 developers entered the competition, which was open to Skype’s thriving community of partners and independent developers. More than 400 hardware and software products that integrate with Skype’s rich features have already been developed by Skype’s expanding network of partners.
“I’m thrilled to congratulate Jyve for winning our developer competition,” said Niklas Zennström, Skype CEO and co-founder. “The competition was fierce and we are so excited by the creativity of the developer community, and can’t wait to work more with this ever expanding network of partners. We also want to give special mention to Khaos Labs, Columbus CRM, Iskoot, Audiomatic and SalesForce.com for their outstanding products.”
Jyve won the top award of 2,000 Euros for a plugin that lets webmasters enable Skype and call forwarding, presence, browser synchronization and auto-responding features on their sites. Khaos Labs received a special mention for its Free ActiveS COM wrapper, which has been used by numerous other developers to help build a range of Skype Extras, which are readily available for download from the Skype Developer Zone. The Skype’s Developers’ Competition was launched on April 26.
Skype’s Thriving Developer Zone
The Skype Developer Zone is a resource for developers interested in working with Skype’s Application Programming Interface (APIs), which is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Skype’s APIs have been integrated into a wide range of community, enterprise, entertainment and productivity products, as well as hundreds of hardware products and services. Some of the highlights include:
- Hardware – Siemens and RTX cordless phones
- Software – such as Skype virtual business cards, ways to listen to your mp3 collections, and personal assistants
In addition, Skype announced last week its Open Web program and the availability of its SkypeWeb and SkypeNet APIs to enable developers to plug Skype’s instant messaging and presence into their websites and software applications.
Creation of Platform Advisory Council
To support and steer its platform development, Skype has formed a Platform Advisory Council. The Council currently has 15 members, which are drawn from some of the best and brightest of the Skype developer community, both partners and individuals.
"Skype's Platform Advisory Council is a group of trusted partners who are willing to share their knowledge of the industry and provide Skype with feedback on our plan for the industry,” said Lenn Pryor, Skype Developer Platform Manager. “Thanks to them, we will be able to have more visibility on how we can positively impact our developer community, and we take their advice and implement it into our roadmap. We are honored to have people of this caliber willing to share their time and energy to help us shape our future."
SkypeDay and SkypeNight Partner Events
To support the interest in its Developer Program, Skype is holding a series of partner events around the world where its growing community of partners and developers can get together to learn more about the on the latest opportunities for working with Skype. The next in this series of worldwide events will be held September 22 in Palo Alto, California, October 12 in London, England and November 7 in Tokyo, Japan.
Partners can also visit the Skype Developer Zone.
About Skype Technologies S.A.:
Skype, the Global Internet Communications Company™, allows people everywhere to make free, unlimited, superior quality voice calls via its award-winning innovative peer-to-peer software for Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, and Pocket PC platforms. Skype is available in 27 languages and is the fastest growing voice communications offering worldwide. Since its launch in August 2003, Skype has been downloaded more than 155 million times in 225 countries and territories. Over 52 million people registered to use Skype’s free services, with over 3 million simultaneous users. Skype has more than 2 million premium customers, with over 12 billion minutes served. Skype Technologies S.A. is headquartered in Luxembourg and is growing its offices in London and Tallinn. Skype Technologies is privately held and backed by top tier international venture capital firms, including Bessemer Venture Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Index Ventures, and Mangrove Capital Partners.
