Skype to Acquire Qik | Hacker News Reader

Skype to Acquire Qik

blogs.skype.com

75 pointshornokplease15 comments

It's easy to know why this happened: Andreessen was an early investor in Qik, and now a huge investor in Skype.

Does anyone know if Qik ran out of money? Most of their funding was from 2008 - just wondering if that heated the need to exit.

There were some recent news a few days ago on their financing round: http://deals-n-discounts.com/live-video-sharing-company-qik-... http://www.sandhill.com/finance/detail_vc.php?id=4653

So maybe someone can enlighten me on this: Isn't the biggest winner in this deal not Skype, but in fact Apple Facetime?

How is Apple benefiting from this deal?

Well, given I have a very limited understanding of their business model, but I would think qik being the main system for video calling on Android would have some effect on them. But again, I have every limited understanding of this so it might be off base.

This sucks for consumers and shouldn't be allowed, why can't we have effective antitrust enforcement?

I didn't need Skype during their outage the other week, but Qik was one of the first alternatives I thought of.

Qik is a live video streaming application. Skype is an internet telephony service. In what way is Qik an alternative to Skype, do you mean? I can see them complement each other, but they solve different problems IMHO.

Qik does two-way video with sound, which makes it also an internet telephony service.

They both offer a video chat service.

You don't watch Fringe?

http://www.androidcentral.com/fringes-peter-bishop-caught-us...

1) Google and Apple are also in this game, even we we pretend Microsoft isn't going here, nor will the Telcos.

2) Skype has a decent install base. But look how fast Qik took off, as example for how much friction there is to competition here. With the App Stores, anyone's install base is ripe for easy poach. See also: Instagram.

3) Qik has 5 million users. Skype Mobile has maybe another 5m? 10m? Most of which can't even do voice? These players are not entrenched. The market is wide open. If anything, a nice Qik exit encourages other entrepreneurs to jump into the space.

4) Seriously, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Telcos. I can't believe you think Skype+Qik is somehow an unstoppable monopoly in this space.

Skype is free, Qik is free. With this, the technology (in theory) should get better. How do I lose out exactly? (Honest question. I'm not trying to troll or be snarky)

If Skype decides to do something you don't like, you have fewer alternatives. As an example of the types of things Skype could do, last year Skype announced plans to charge money for Skype-to-Skype calls over 3G. To their credit, they didn't implement the plans after a huge outcry.

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