Skype is a peer-to-peer Internet telephony service that is free for Skype-to-Skype calls. The service also allows Skype users to call mobiles and landlines, and vice-versa. Skype has special charge plans for non-Skype-to-Skype calls. Skype is expanding from its traditional computer-based calls to mobile applications. Skype was founded by Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis who were also the founders of the file sharing application Kazaa and the peer-to-peer television application Joost. Skype is different than other VoIP services in that it uses a peer-to-peer model instead of a server-client model. Its main competitors include GizmoProject, PeerMe and Jajah.

Milestones

Skype — Skype hits 521 million users and $175 million in Q3 (10/21/09)
Posted 10/21/09 at 6:28pm
Skype — Skype releases corporate Session-Internet-Protocol communications (3/23/09)
Posted 3/23/09 at 10:15am
Skype — Skype reaches more than 400 mio users. USD 145 mio revenue in Q1 2009 (1/31/09)
Posted 3/3/09 at 2:14am
Skype — Skype taps former Motorola exec for COO post (7/1/08)
Posted 7/1/08 at 2:35pm
Skype — 338 million registered Skype users (6/30/08)
Posted 9/16/08 at 2:49am
James Bilefield, General manager of European operations added.
Posted 4/9/08 at 5:46pm
Enrico Noseda, Business Development Director added.
Posted 3/27/08 at 1:45pm
Melany Libraro, International Marketing added.
Posted 3/20/08 at 3:48pm
Michael van Swaaij, Interim CEO added.
Posted 2/25/08 at 1:06pm
Josh Silverman, CEO added.
Posted 2/25/08 at 1:06pm
Skype — 100 Billion free skype-to-skype minutes served. (2/22/08)
Posted 9/16/08 at 2:49am
Ott Kaukver, Core Technology, QA & Security added.
Posted 7/31/07 at 5:51am
Annemie Jense Van Rensburg, HR added.
Posted 7/31/07 at 5:50am
Sten Tamkivi, General Manager, eCommerce added.
Posted 7/31/07 at 5:51am
Stefan Oberg, Telecoms added.
Posted 7/2/07 at 9:26pm
Janus Friis, Co-Founder added.
Posted 7/2/07 at 9:25pm
Laura Shesgreen, CFO added.
Posted 7/2/07 at 9:26pm
Robert Miller, General Counsel added.
Posted 7/2/07 at 9:27pm
Henry Gomez, President added.
Posted 7/2/07 at 9:26pm
Geoffery Prentice, Strategy & Asia added.
Posted 7/2/07 at 9:25pm
Niklas Zennstrom, Co-Founder added.
Posted 7/2/07 at 9:25pm
Skype — 100 million registered skype users (4/28/06)
Posted 9/16/08 at 2:50am
Invested in Fon. (2/6/06)
Posted 3/11/08 at 11:33am
Acquired by eBay for $2.6B. (9/12/05)
Posted 7/2/07 at 9:35pm
Skype — One million concurrent Skype users (10/20/04)
Posted 9/16/08 at 2:48am
Skype — SkypeOut launched (7/27/04)
Posted 9/16/08 at 2:47am
Received $18.8M in Series B funding. (3/1/04)
Posted 7/2/07 at 9:28pm
Skype — 1.5 million downloads and 100,000 concurrent users (10/22/03)
Posted 9/16/08 at 2:47am
Skype — Skype released publicly (8/29/03)
Posted 9/16/08 at 2:46am
Received in Series A funding. (2003)
Posted 4/28/08 at 9:54am