why is skype still available for Linux

[c2tarun]

Hi friends,
This question might sound little weird, but why is skype still available for Linux? Microsoft bought skype two years ago. As far as I can recall MS never did anything for open source community. I also don't think they did anything for Linux (especially after huge rumors that they are porting MS-Office to linux). So why is skype still available for linux?

[echo6]

Why are people still using it!?

http://www.h-online.com/security/new...e-1862870.html

[ajgreeny]

Why are people still using it!?

http://www.h-online.com/security/new...e-1862870.html

Because most windows users who we linux users want to talk to use it and probably don't even realise there are alternative available. Certainly I have yet to hear any of my M$ user friends talk in any way other than "I skype my family abroad" etc etc, and frankly, it is easier to just go with it than to try and persuade them that they could use other applications.

[c2tarun]

No no guys, you got my questions wrong. Skype is nice simple great and it really deserves recognition. Even if people in Linux are using it, it must be less than 1% of total skype users right. Why does M$ care for just 1% users?

[mastablasta]

because Skype wasn't always a MS company and even if small percentage use it they still bring in money. Probably the porting is not that difficult now sicne major work was in place anyway (the long Skype 2 beta period...).

btw i use Skype because it has good rates for calls. i searched for an alternative with same or lower rates but haven't found one.

[Dry Lips]

No no guys, you got my questions wrong. Skype is nice simple great and it really deserves recognition. Even if people in Linux are using it, it must be less than 1% of total skype users right. Why does M$ care for just 1% users?

I can think of several reasons. It makes sense to maintain an existing codebase, instead of throwing it out of the window. (No pun intended!) Microsoft has also come to recognize that Linux probably isn't going away, thus it isn't a bad business practice to cater to this group. After all Microsoft provides software to Apple users, even if they are nowhere as many as Windows users. Now, the real question is why Microsoft hasn't ported for instance the Office suite to Linux yet. Earlier this year there were rumors circulation about an official port of Office to Linux, so who knows what will happen?

Often you hear people say that Microsoft views Linux as a major threat to their own hegemony, and thus tries to prevent Linux from growing further. I think there are a certain core of truth to this, but I also suspect that there is a paradigm shift going on right now. Suddenly you have a market where Microsoft is no longer the marked leader, but the underdog, (I'm talking about the phone and tablets), and they might have had to adapt new business strategies because of this situation.

All in all, I'm not surprised that Skype still is maintained.

[grahammechanical]

It is business. Pure and simple, it is business. Check this out and you will be even more surprised.

http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/manage/linux/other-resources/endorsed-distributions/

Microsoft are endorsing Linux distributions that work well with Microsoft cloud computing software. How strange! No. It is just business. If a company is running Linux machines and Microsoft wants that company to buy Microsoft Cloud products then they are not going to sell anything to that company if they insist that the company throw out all their hardware and buy Microsoft machines.

[c2tarun]

Often you hear people say that Microsoft views Linux as a major threat to their own hegemony, and thus tries to prevent Linux from growing further. I think there are a certain core of truth to this, but I also suspect that there is a paradigm shift going on right now. Suddenly you have a market where Microsoft is no longer the marked leader, but the underdog, (I'm talking about the phone and tablets), and they might have had to adapt new business strategies because of this situation.

All in all, I'm not surprised that Skype still is maintained.

I personally don't think that Linux is still threat to Microsoft (people please don't get me wrong I have Ubuntu as my primary OS, I am hardcore linux fan and I use windows only for syncing music to my IPhone). I am just sharing my opinion. The reason why I think this is people don't like change. See what happened to Windows 8. MS sold it but people stick to win 7 because it is similar to Win XP which is similar to Win 98. Another example is Digg, they changed suddenly and they failed.
Why Canonical is surviving because it is mostly used by people who are always eager to learn. From forums, IRC etc. No matter how much you change behind the UI, changing UI completely is disastrous. Now Ubuntu's Unity is kind of getting constant. In coming years may till Ubuntu 17 or 18 Ubuntu will post some serious threat to Microsoft, but only when they'll maintain the use and feel throughout all the releases.

It is business. Pure and simple, it is business. Check this out and you will be even more surprised.

http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/manage/linux/other-resources/endorsed-distributions/

Microsoft are endorsing Linux distributions that work well with Microsoft cloud computing software. How strange! No. It is just business. If a company is running Linux machines and Microsoft wants that company to buy Microsoft Cloud products then they are not going to sell anything to that company if they insist that the company throw out all their hardware and buy Microsoft machines.

Hmm... this is an interesting fact. I thought Microsoft is kind of anti-linux but they are just money magnets no matter from where.

[rrich1974]

in my opinion, skype for linux is one of the best apps that run on linux. the quality is just brilliant.
that is the reason i would like to have more proprietary apps for linux.

[Dry Lips]

in my opinion, skype for linux is one of the best apps that run on linux. the quality is just brilliant.
that is the reason i would like to have more proprietary apps for linux.

I use Skype myself, first and foremost because most of my contacts use Skype. However, there is an ongoing thread about some questionable aspects of Skype in the cafe right now. I recommend you to check it out:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2148385