Skype announced a “lower bandwidth” version of their mobile client, designed to work with more operators around the globe than their current three they have signed up after being live with Three in the UK for almost three years or so, and Verizon in the USA. While no technical details were announced, it was interesting that at Mobile World Congress where everyone is going up in the bandwidth apps game, Skype chose to go lower and down, evidence that they know their market for users on the upper end of early adopters and advanced users may have peaked and now they want to go after those who need it more in more places where mobile broadband is just rolling out, and where the wireless data pipe is in scarce supply.
This is a very smart move by the Skype mobile team as it shows they understand the market is not all big ticket enterprise users as they are pursuing on the Skype Connect front vs. going after the very hungry small business market, and instead recognizing that with less, there’s more opportunity for adoption.
This is also in line with Voice over LTE or VoLTE that is at least one year away with Verizon and Metro PCS in the USA, so by demonstrating that Skype can move more minutes over the older 1xRTT with Verizon, as well as over GSM carriers plain old GSM and GPRS networks, vs. the more expensive to users and carrier LTE and HSPA+, Skype outwardly says, we can help you now mister operator, well before you are ready for the next big push up the ladder.