In the wake of Skype’s announcement at Enterprise Connect , it’s clear Skype is making bold moves to be taken seriously in the enterprise. David Gurlé, GM & VP of Enterprise, is tasked with developing Skype’s business strategy, and yesterday he rolled out another major partnership. Citrix Online’s GoToMeeting will now integrate with Skype’s own Skype for Business, giving Skype users web conferencing functionality and the ability to set up online meetings with an audio conferencing bridge that participants can join via Skype. Users will see the functionality in Q4 of 2011 or early 2012.
Thus far, Skype for Business hasn’t seen much financial traction, as users aren’t ponying up for the enterprise solution –- in August 2010, less than 1.5% of the 560 million registered users were paying customers. The company’s image plays a large role in that small percentage. When Fred Knight, Enterprise Connect GM, asked Gurlé about the company’s perception as a consumer tool, Gurlé readily acknowledged the challenge. “When it comes to the enterprise, we are still not known. That is why I’m here at Enterprise Connect.”
In an effort to realign the company’s perception, Skype has been steadily accumulating key partners with established business technology vendors. A recent partnership with Avaya cleverly associates Skype with a unified communications giant, lending credibility and validity to Skype Connect. Coupling Skype’s cost-saving service with Avaya security, Skype Connect offers Avaya customers integration with an existing phone system.
Enterprise companies have come to learn that customer service is the new marketing, and customer support tools must rise to the challenge posed by the open web. Enter Skype, which offers a huge opportunity to deliver a consumer bridge for business. During his keynote, Gurlé noted that customer support has squared away audio and instant message, but the next weapon customer support needs in the arsenal is video. An enterprise that leverages Skype to engage with customers won’t have to teach an old dog new tricks, as customers are more likely to use a technology platform they are familiar with. With Skype making a business play, the virtual call center is a not-too-distant reality.
