Even as recently as 2005 (yup, 4 days ago), it seems like people have been somewhat dismissive of the idea that Skype could become a dominant player in global telephony. Ironically, the chief argument of Skype’s detractors always seems to be, “people don’t want to sit at their computer to use the phone”. Set aside the fact that, unless I’m driving, I am almost always sitting at my computer when I use the phone. Set aside the fact that solutions to the desktop computer Skype mobility problem have been on the market for well over a year (take the Internet Phone Wizard from Actiontec as an example–it lets you connect cordless phones and be totally untethered from the PC).
What Netgear has done, though, is unprecedented. It seems that they’ve apparently embedded a Skype client right inside their own WiFi IP phone–no desktop PC connection necessary. So, this is the first totally mobile Skype hardware solution, and I should think it won’t be the last. This a big deal, because it proves the naysayers wrong. Skype really is a power. The fact that they’re dealing licenses to brandy consumer-oriented companies like Netgear just proves it.
Skype is only going to get bigger. Here’s hoping they peel back that protocol before somebody a little better equipped (coughmicrosoftcough) catches a whiff of their success and squashes them (coughnetscapecough).
Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I think this phone is absolutely awful looking. Hit Tom’s blog for a picture and more details. I so envy these guys that get to go to CES while I’m sitting in cramped, overheated data-closets troubleshooting the digital mundane.