[Asterisk-Dev] We can do better than Skype

[Daniel Pocock]

>>
>> Support IAX, not Skype for Skye is the darkness and IAX is the light.
>>

The real issue is not making Asterisk compatible with Skype (their days 
are numbered anyhow, as well as competing with open technologies, they 
also have to compete with all the other proprietaries like MSN messager) 
- the issue is, can we make a similar 'plug and play' telephony protocol 
that is an open standard, build the appropriate channel driver for 
Asterisk, and also make a channel implementation available for products 
like Gnomemeeting so that end users can connect?

I believe IAX is much closer to achieving this goal than SIP or H323, 
but Skype's protocol is more successful at getting through firewalls and 
NAT because of two things (which I openly admit I haven't verified 
myself, so please correct me if I've been mis informed):
- all connections go back through a Skype server with a real IP, even if 
calling user to user
- they can tunnel through HTTP proxies

Maybe we need to look at the possibility of IAX over HTTP and IAX over TCP?

In the long run, companies like Skype will either have to:
a) lose their customers to open standards based technologies, and see 
their company wind up out in the cold
b) merge with other proprietaries to maintain a 'critical mass' user base
c) convert to open standards so that their users can interoperate with 
and benefit from other products like Asterisk, regular IP phones and SIP 
based applications.  In this scenario, Skype becomes nothing more than a 
brand name, using the same technology as everyone else.

In other words, why go to them, when we can wait for them to come to us?