Cisco is battling against Microsoft’s $ 8.5 billion Skype acquisition in the European Union’s high court. Rather than trying to kill the acquisition itself, Cisco just wants to make sure Microsoft won’t block other video conferencing services from interfacing with the platform.
Marthin De Beer, head of Cisco’s video conferencing division, noted that the world remains some distance from the goal of video calls being as easy and ubiquitous as phone calls are today. He asked his blog readers to imagine how difficult it would be if they were limited to calling people who only use the same carrier or if their phone could only call certain brands.
“Cisco wants to avoid this future for video communications, and therefore today appealed the European Commission’s approval of the Microsoft/Skype merger to the General Court of the European Union,” De Beer said. Messagenet, a European VoIP service provider, joined Cisco in the appeal.
Insisting on Interoperability
De Beer was quick to mention that Cisco does not oppose the merger, but believes the European Commission should have placed conditions that would guarantee standards-based interoperability so that no single company can control the future of video communications.
“This appeal is about one thing only: securing standards-based interoperability in the video calling space,” De Beer said. “Our goal is to make video calling as easy and seamless as e-mail is today. Making a video-to-video call should be as easy as dialing a phone number. Today, however, you can’t make seamless video calls from one platform to another, much to the frustration of consumers and business users alike.”
Cisco is calling for open standards in a move to accelerate innovation, create economic value, and increase choice for users of video communications, entertainment and services. This is critical, De Beer noted, because the world will be home to nearly 3 billion Internet users…
3 Pack of Universal Touch Screen Stylus Pen (Red + Black + Silver)Keep a PDA stylus on hand so you’re always ready to jot a note or tap the touch screen without using your finger….
HDE 7″ Tablet Stand with USB Keyboard – Black Faux Leather Carrying CaseThis black leather case with laptop-style keyboard is the perfect accessory for 7″ tablets. This protective cover is multi-functi…
