As a long-term user of Skype, I’ve grown to depend on it.
I use it daily for video conferencing (work and family), and for making cheap international phone calls when I’m travelling.
I was therefore interested to see what a Skype Premium account would offer.
Nothing.
I don’t have any need for group video, I already have a webcam, and have never needed their support.
As a UK-based user, the Premium version would only cost me around $8 a month. My company should be able to afford that. Yet there isn’t one single compelling reason to upgrade.
Why would I pay $8 for support I shouldn’t need and a webcam I don’t want?
I suspect that Microsoft have plans for Skype, and am expecting to see far more ads.
But Microsoft need to get the balance right.
Too few ads and they won’t monetise the application or annoy enough people into upgrading.
Too many ads and they risk forcing people away from Skype altogether.
The Software industry has an interesting history of dabbling with advertising. Adware worked well until greed kicked in, and today’s users value their private information far more than in the past, mainly as a result of having it regularly violated and shared.
For now I’m going to stick with the free version until Microsoft come up with something a little more tempting.
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