If OpenSky proves the market, will Skype cherry pick?

Microsoft created quite a reputation for letting third-party developers build apps and then either purchasing the company or copying and driving out of business those that were most successful.

Skype has said they aren’t opening their network because their customers haven’t asked for it.  Is that the truth, or is that just a convenient excuse?

If Gizmo5’s OpenSky proves there is a market for SIP to Skype, will Skype “cherry pick” that app and build that feature into their service?  Or if Gizmo5 shows there is demand for it, perhaps they still won’t do it because maybe it’s not really about business – maybe it’s about religion, the church of Skype.

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Michael Robertson moves beyond Skype open/closed debate

Rather than bicker over what “open” means and whether Skype is open or not, Michael Robertson has just ignored the whole thing and taken action instead.

Today, Gizmo5 launched OpenSky, a SIP to Skype gateway. if you want to call a Skype user named echo123 you simply call SIP address  sip:echo123@opensky.gizmo5.com

The free version can be used by anyone for calls up to 5 minutes long. For longer calls, you need to use their paid service, which is $20 per year for individuals.

I guess this will test Skype’s claim that no one is asking for this service.

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