Who Invented Skype

Before hacking a bot or how to trick a bot, it is worth understanding what a “bot” is. In simple terms, a bot is an assistant program that will unquestioningly execute all commands given to it in Telegram. For example, he can offer a selection of interesting news to the user in the morning, and recommend a movie in the evening.

To perform data and similar functions, these little helpers use the same interfaces as ordinary users.

"Language" of bots

Before you start hacking a bot, you first need to know what the client code looks like and what language it uses.

You might think that C # (C Sharp), which is a very popular and modern programming language, was used to write the program. He gained popularity due to the autonomy of the program, great functionality and a small amount of occupied RAM.

But this is not so, C ++ was used for the computer version, Java was used for the android. Also acceptable languages ​​for bots are:

• HTML;
• Python;
• JavaScript.

Payment in Telegram

In financial transactions, Telegram is an intermediary. The client sends the necessary data with his credit card specifically to the payment system. Then the response of the payment system and all the necessary information are transferred to the bot developer, after which he can process and complete the operation.

Here, bots greatly simplify the sale and purchase for both parties. The buyer can purchase any product from the seller from any corner of the world and at any time of the day. And for the seller, there is an auto-sale, since he does not need to constantly sit in the application and wait for buyers.

However, any disputed payments are the responsibility of bot developers and payment system providers, since Telegram is not directly involved in financial transactions.

hack bot

Most programs that promise to hack a bot follow the same system:

1. Download program.
2. Launch the downloaded application.
3. Act.

In most cases, a site that offers and assures that a “crack” can easily bypass the Telegram security system and deceive a bot is malicious, and it is absolutely impossible to download, let alone run the downloaded program, for the safety of your device.

Theoretically, such a program can be created completely by studying the encryption protocol and spending a lot of time writing such an algorithm. However, it is impossible to find such a program in open forums.

Telegram sender

In fact, this program is a common spammer. A group of developers found a small way to bypass the protection and created their own program. The program works easily:

1. Write some text.
2. Payment.
3. Get a result.

Scripts

Scripts in the Telegram application are used to automate any action or create a bot. You can easily download them from the official website of the developers.

You can also use scripts to deceive a bot in Telegram. After all, a bot is a program that works according to some given algorithm. So it is enough for a hacker to simply reproduce certain request algorithms, namely certain plugins that generate special questions in such a way that the bot allows you to purchase a certain product for free.

It is difficult to imagine the modern world without Skype, but few people know when it appeared. This service allows you to exchange not only text messages, but also make voice and video calls. 2003 was marked by innovations that forever changed the digital world. Since its inception, there have been many gradual changes that improve the interface, and therefore a user with basic skills can quickly get comfortable.

Historical digression

Skype has paid and free versions, and therefore everyone will be able to choose the appropriate option. The developers were able to integrate Facebook with the messenger, and this saved more time. It is difficult to come up with a program that could enjoy such great popularity, and therefore the history of creation is important.

First stage

As soon as work begins in the messenger, users often have a desire to get answers to simple questions: “In what year and where was Skype invented?”. Estonia is a country where they worked:

• Ahti Heinla;
• Priit Kazesalu;
• Jan Tallinn.

They were able to create the KaZaA file sharing service, which was very popular at the time. The Scandinavians were the first to not only invent, but also to implement the idea of ​​a program that allows you to maintain constant contact with family and friends, wherever they are. Skype, in the form in which it became known to the general public, was invented by Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström.

Then they came up with a simple but brilliant idea - to provide every user with constant access to the Internet, the opportunity for unlimited communication. The date of the first official release is August 29, 2003. The country of residence was no longer of fundamental importance, since it was possible to contact someone in just a few seconds and absolutely free. At some point, the program became not only in demand, but also one of the indispensable.

First profit

Without knowing who invented Skype, it's hard to speculate about their true intentions as developers. The bright and memorable appearance of the messenger did not give any profit, but efforts should not be in vain. When users were able to make direct calls to regular numbers, using reduced prices, the first profits were not long in coming. Belonging to the number of profitable projects is not an easy task, but skype managed to adequately withstand the competition. Wikipedia writes that after 2 years the company's capitalization amounted to about $35 million per quarter, and many interesting events begin from this.

In 2005 largest auctioneBay began to belong to the messenger. It was difficult to predict the end result of such a deal, but everyone felt great benefits from it. The year 2006 was marked by the growth of the company's revenue, which in monetary terms amounted to about 195 million dollars. Who owns the idea of ​​total improvements in the program is a mystery, but we can talk about an impeccable strategy and plan. Ebay has been able to take Skype to the next level by constantly engaging active users.

A short-term coma in the development of the company comes in November 2009, when Ebay decides to sell a controlling stake (70% for $ 2.5 billion). Notable is the fact that the original creators received seats on the board and 14% of the shares. They no longer claim more and relieved themselves of legal responsibility.

Together with Microsoft

In 2011yearMicrosoft decides to make a valuable acquisition by swapping $8.5 billion for a majority stake in the companySkype. This transaction was unprecedented in terms of the amount of money spent. The board of the company hatched their plans, and therefore they painlessly parted with such a sum. The messenger is available in almost all countries, and even Russia, having such a long distance, does not experience problems.

Innovations

Today, Skype can be downloaded on a variety of devices and platforms, from Windows to Linux. New markets continue to expand, and this requires a certain degree of developer mobility.

The messenger was able to surpass the original ideas of the creators, as the original scheme was finalized and improved. Consumers were able not only to make calls to different countries, but also to conduct group sessions.

Thanks to Microsoft, the program was able to reveal its true potential and grow beyond simple calls. Each user is given a unique opportunity to share information and files in group chats. The creators, for sure, are satisfied with the results of their work.

What is Skype? What is skype and how to use it? Skype is one of the most popular online communication programs. https://website/ip-telefoniya/chto-takoe-skaip https://site/@@site-logo/logo.png

What is Skype? What is skype and how to use it?

Skype is one of the most popular online communication programs.

What is skype and how to use it?

Skype(read Skype) is a simple computer program (already Russified), thanks to which you can call other Skype subscribers around the world for free. Those. provides free encrypted voice and video communication over the Internet between computers (VoIP), as well as paid services for communication with subscribers of the conventional and mobile telephone networks. It is possible to organize a conference call (up to 25 subscribers, including the initiator), transfer text messages, files, show your desktop, as well as video calls (currently using a standard client - up to two subscribers, and using third-party plug-ins their number is limited only by the bandwidth of the channel).

What is Skype? Skype is a variety of communication methods:

Skype has many useful features that keep you connected with friends, family and colleagues, share your thoughts and get the information you need.

Skype can be used on both desktop and mobile, so you can stay connected even on the go without changing your plans. Skype works on many mobile phones and devices such as the PlayStation® Portable (PSP®). In addition, there is a huge selection of WiFi phones and cordless phones with built-in Skype.

To get started, try sending instant messages to someone on your contact list or open a group chat where several people can chat at once. You can set up a conference call to discuss your upcoming meeting with friends and then use the Business Reviews™ Finder to find the perfect place to host it.

Plus, you'll have great video conferencing options. All you need is a webcam that will allow you not only to enjoy free video calls, but also to take pictures of yourself, so that you can later use these photos in Skype.

Skype is not designed for emergency calls

Skype is not a replacement for a regular phone and cannot be used to call an emergency

Find friends on Skype

If you use Microsoft Outlook®, Outlook Express®, or Yahoo! Email, you can import data from these applications into your Skype address book. If your friends don't have Skype yet, you can send them an invitation to download Skype and then you can chat for free. Do not be surprised if they send you a bouquet of flowers and a chocolate bar: these are your grateful friends. And you deserve it.

Do you know other MySpace users? Convince them to download Skype or MySpaceIM from Skype. Then add them to your Skype notebook, and your social circle will expand noticeably. Just look up the name of the person you need in MySpaceIM.

Adding a new friend to your notebook is easy. In addition, Skype allows you to add contacts who do not yet have Skype, and call them to landlines and mobile phones at low rates anywhere in the world.

If you have phone numbers stored in your Microsoft Outlook® address book, they will be shown in your contact list and you can easily dial them directly from Skype. To call landlines or mobiles, you need Skype Credit or a monthly subscription.

How to use Skype at work?

Are you a sole trader? Or an employee of a multinational holding? No matter how modest or, conversely, impressive, your company staff may be, thanks to Skype you can save time and money and, most importantly, always stay one step ahead of the competition.

Skype enables businesses to find their unique way of working, no matter what their goals are and where their employees are located.
Voice, chat, video conferencing and even calling and sending SMS to mobile phones - you choose how best to convey information to your colleagues and clients. Whatever your business, download the business version of Skype and take the first step towards minimizing costs and increasing profitability.
And if you do not stop there is not included in your plans, especially for you - Skype Manager, a system for centralized management of the use of Skype throughout the enterprise.

Skype Manager simplifies and streamlines the exchange of business information. With just one simple online tool, you can connect colleagues to your network, give them access to the Skype features they need, and save money with our very competitive rates.

Where does Skype work?

Skype works on the following operating systems Mac OS X, GNU/Linux, Windows, Windows Phone, iPhone, Windows Mobile, Google Android, PSP, Symbian.

Skype works on TV. Free video calling on the big screen right in your living room is a reality thanks to the latest developments from companies such as LG, Panasonic and Samsung: the latest TVs from these manufacturers are designed to work with Skype in high-definition mode.

Where to download Skype?

Just follow the link for your operating system:

How to pay for Skype services?

You can deposit money into your Skype account using Diners, MasterCard or Visa. Using the payment system moneybookers will allow you to use your credit and debit card or bank account to securely purchase Skype products. You can also pay for purchases in Skype through the system WebMoney. SkypeOut services can also be paid through Yandex money. Thanks to the company PayByCash You can pay for purchases on Skype using the payment methods used in your country, so you can do without a credit card.

When and by whom was Skype created?

Skype was created by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis.

The first Skype appeared in September 2003.

In October 2005, eBay was bought by eBay for about $2.6 billion (an additional $500 million was later paid), although the company's annual turnover was less than $100 million. In April 2009, eBay executives announced that in the first half of 2010, Skype will be sold on the exchange, as the activities of this company do not fit well with the online auction business.

The company is headquartered in Luxembourg, with branches in London, Prague, San Jose and Tallinn.

Developments

2003

• Foundation of the company

2005

• The company was acquired by eBay for $2.7 billion.

2007

• March: Skype 3.1 release, new features added, including Skype Find and Skype Prime. Skype 3.2 beta has also become available with new features that allow you to send money via PayPal to other users.
• August: Skype 3.5 for Windows was released, now there is support for video in the profile, as well as the ability to embed video in the chat; call transfer to another user or group; call auto redial.
• August 15: Skype 2.7.0.49 (beta) for Mac OS.
• August 16-17: "Black Tuesday", as a result of a Skype failure, Skype did not work for more than a day.

2008

• January 30: Skype releases a Sony PSP version.
• March 13: Skype 2.0 for Linux released with video conferencing support.
• July 9: Skype 4.0 Beta was released, the fourth version of the program has a new interface.
• September 1: Skype closes SkypeCasts.
• September 12: Unlimited Europe for $5.95 now includes Russian cities St. Petersburg and Moscow in addition to calls to landlines in 21 European countries.
• December 26: Skype releases version 1.0.0 for Nokia Nst-4 in system-pack v1.0.0

2009

• February 3: Skype 4.0 (Windows) released.
• March 31: Skype released a version for the Apple iPhone.
• May 12: Skype discontinued conferencing.
• September 1: eBay announced the sale of a 65% stake in Skype to a group of investors Andreessen Horowitz for $2 billion.
• Nov 9: Skype releases toolbar for MS Outlook

2010

• January 19: Skype is another client of the Russian company SPIRIT in the field of IP-telephony. The sound quality has been greatly improved.
• February 19: Skype ends support for Skype Lite (Skype for Java Phones) and Skype for Windows Mobile.
• April 31: Skype released a version for the Apple iPad.
• August 9: Skype filed for its first share issue. The company plans to receive $100 million during the placement of shares.
• September 2: Skype adds support for offline chat messages.
• October 5: Release of the full-fledged Skype client for Android.
• October 14: Skype 5.0 (Windows) was released, the fifth version of the program has a new interface and the ability to make group video calls is added.
• December 22-23: Skype crashes worldwide.
• December 23, 18:20 Moscow time: Skype has been restored.

2011

2012

In the program release dated January 10, 2013, integration with the Outlook mail client is implemented.

On January 29, 2013, Microsoft stopped supporting Windows Live Messenger, completely switching to the development of Skype.

The February 22, 2013 version for Windows 8 added a file sharing feature that allows users to exchange documents via instant messaging.

Released on February 27, 2013, version 3.2 for the Android platform is adapted for 7-inch tablets.

On April 7, 2014, Microsoft announced Skype TX, a dedicated Skype-based solution for TV studios and radio stations. Since April 29, 2014, group video conferences have become free. In September 2014, support for phones with the Symbian platform was discontinued.

What is Skype technology?

Unlike many other IP telephony programs, Skype uses a P2P architecture for data transfer. The Skype user directory is distributed across the computers of Skype network users, which allows the network to easily scale to very large sizes (currently more than 100 million users, 10-15 million online) without expensive centralized server infrastructure. In addition, Skype can route calls through other users' computers. This allows users behind a NAT or firewall to connect to each other, but creates an additional load on the computers and channels of users directly connected to the Internet.

The single central element for Skype is the identity server, which stores user accounts and backups of their contact lists. The central server is needed only to establish communication. After the connection is established, the computers send voice data directly to each other (if there is a direct connection between them), or through a Skype intermediary (a supernode is a computer that has an external IP address and an open TCP port for Skype). In particular, if two computers located within the same local network have established a Skype connection between themselves, then the connection with the Internet can be interrupted, and the conversation will continue until it is terminated by users or any communication failure within the local network.

Thanks to the codecs used by Skype (data compression algorithms) SVOPC (16 kHz), AMR-WB (16 kHz), G.729 (8 kHz) and G.711 (formerly ILBC and ISAC were also used) and with sufficient Internet connection speed ( 30-60 kbps) in most cases, the sound quality is better than that of a conventional telephone connection.

When a connection is established between a PC, data is encrypted using AES-256, which, in turn, uses a 1024-bit RSA key to transmit the key.

The Skype VoIP protocol is closed and used only by the original Skype software. Using the API, third-party programs can access its functions.

There have been no cases of data decryption and/or data interception officially confirmed by the developer in Skype.

For stable use of video communication, an Internet connection speed of 200 kbps or more is required, and a processor clock frequency of 1 GHz or more is desirable.

What is Skype history?

The first versions (versions 0.97, 0.98) of the program appeared in September-October 2003. The program simultaneously supported 10 languages ​​and had a simple, logical interface, originally adapted (unlike ICQ and MS-Messenger) for voice communication. During installation, Skype itself chose the Windows localization language and had login registration easier and faster than in competing programs. It was the ease of installation, development and use of the program that quickly attracted the attention of a large number of users. In version 1.2, an answering machine (Voicemail) appeared for the first time, and starting from 1.3, any of its owners could leave messages to other users, even if they did not use this service. 1.2 also introduced the SkypeIn feature, which allows you to link your Skype account to a phone number.

Starting with version 1.4, it became possible to redirect calls to other Skype accounts, as well as to regular phones.

In version 2.0, for the first time, the possibility of video communication appeared, and in 2.5 - the possibility of sending SMS, organizing Skypecasts (this technology was officially disabled from September 1, 2008) and integrating with Microsoft Outlook.

Version 3 has a service (SkypeFind) that allows users to create a list of companies and give them a description. It is now largely filled with spam.

Skype 3.5, version for Nokia Nst-4Skype client can be installed on a compatible phone or PDA, with significant cost savings due to low system rates. However, cellular operators do not want to lose excess profits and slow down the process in every possible way. T-Mobile, Germany's largest mobile phone provider, has said it will block Skype internet telephony traffic on iPhones. It comes to the fact that the lobby of mobile operators is trying to ban Skype, and at the same time ICQ, in Russia.

What are skype services? What are skype paid services?

SkypeOut rates as of March 2006 in US dollars per minute SkypeOut Allows you to make outgoing calls to landlines and mobile phones in most countries of the world. Payment per minute, differentiated. Calls to toll-free numbers (such as +1 800 in the US) are free, and even users who have not paid for SkypeOut can use them. Skype Out also makes incoming Skype calls to a phone with the Skype Lite mobile application. 180 days after the last SkypeOut call, the balance will expire. SkypeIn Allows you to receive phone calls from users of traditional telephone networks. In this case, the participant receives a phone number in one of the following countries: Australia, Brazil, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, Estonia, France, UK, USA, Japan and Hong Kong (China). All incoming calls to this number will go to the Skype account, and if the score is positive, calls can be forwarded to any phone number. As a bonus to the phone number, Skype provides a free answering machine for the duration of the use of the number. Skype Voicemail Free services . Outwardly similar to a conference call, however, unlike it, it is installed through a central server, as a result of which it does not impose high requirements on the bandwidth of the user channel that initiated the conversation.

What are Skype Gadgets and Products?

Skype produces and sells various products for the Skype program. For example, the wireless phone RTX Dualphone 3088 for calls without a computer. The phone allows you to make and receive calls both via Skype and in a regular telephone network without a computer. Skype also produces Freetalk Wireless headsets - wireless headphones with a USB transmitter for wireless communication via Skype, video calling equipment (Freetalk Buddy Pack) and webcams (Freetalk Connect 2).

Attempts to ban Skype

The Commission on Telecommunications and Information Technologies of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) is preparing recommendations to ban Skype in Russia. The interests of RUIE members are clear: thanks to Skype, millions of Internet users in Russia have the opportunity to bypass the existing high tariffs for international telephone calls. In addition, the initiators of the ban and the FSB claim that Skype is difficult to eavesdrop due to the lack of its connection to SORM.

In Belarus, all calls over the network must go through the state operator, and the use of other international networks, including Skype, is considered a violation of the law.

Deutsche Telekom, Europe's largest telecommunications company, has said it will block Skype if you try to use it with your iPhone.

Access to Skype may be blocked by hardware. Verso Technologies and Cisco Systems have similar solutions. In particular, they are used by the largest Chinese provider China Telecom. Similarly, Skype is blocked in the UAE.

In response to attempts to ban Skype, its developers began to introduce traffic masking tools into the program to bypass VoIP blocking. In addition, Skype can work with proxy servers, VPN and Tor, which practically negates the effectiveness of its blocking.

Number of Skype users.

Year (end of year) Registered Users Online Users
2005 74 million 10.8 million

Comparison of Skype with other programs

	Skype	Net2Phone	MSN Messenger, ICQ, AIM, Yahoo Messenger	Other Voice Clients
Work with all brandmauers No configuration required	V	X	X	X
Unlimited calls to other subscribers	V	V	V	Sometimes
Sound quality	Better, than by phone	Worse, than by phone	Worse, than by phone	Worse, than by phone
Security and encryption of connections	V	X	X	X
100% ad-free	V	X	X	Sometimes

Call via the Internet to a regular cell phone or landline phone? Easily. Contact another user on the network by establishing direct audiovisual contact? Even easier! VoIP and softphones are rapidly conquering markets around the world, and at the forefront of this "attack" is a program whose name is well known to everyone - Skype. That's what we'll talk about today.

Before Skype, or a digression into history

Many science fiction writers of the 19th-20th centuries predicted that sooner or later humanity would invent a kind of videophone, thanks to which the interlocutor could not only be heard, but also seen. Some especially gifted personalities (Tesla, for example) started talking about it even at a time when even an ordinary telephone was a curiosity.

In fact, humanity coped with the invention of such a contraption sooner rather than later. Judge for yourself: even 15 years ago it was hard to think that very soon we would have compact and powerful cell phones at our disposal, from which you can easily make a video call to anywhere in the world (that you can also easily go online, listen to music, read, watch movies, and so on, and there is nothing to say).

It is worth noting that attempts to invent a videophone as an independent device is a topic worthy of a separate story. For example, back in 1964, AT&T managed to install the first public videophone booths in New York, Washington, and Chicago. Devices bearing the name Picturephone Mod I were also installed with pomp at the headquarters of large companies. It was planned that the innovation would be a resounding success, and then universal recognition would come. In devices, by the way, 3 pairs of telephone wires were used: one for sound transmission and two (with a bandwidth of 1 MHz) for video transmission in each direction. The image was updated every 2 seconds. An additional PBX was used for video switching. But the public did not appreciate all these efforts - a call from New York to Washington cost $16 for 3 minutes, and to Chicago - $27, which scared away even the most notorious geeks of that time. As a result, the booths were dismantled already in 1968.

However, we digress. Our today's story will not be about video payphones at all, but about the idea of ​​​​transmitting voice and image over the Web, which appeared almost before the invention of computer networks themselves.

As paradoxical as it sounds, until a certain period of time, telephone networks and data transmission networks existed independently of each other. The fact is that the equipment and channels of those years simply could not cope with both at the same time. Scientists have been struggling to solve this problem since the 60s, but the first noticeable progress was made only in the 80s, when the ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) was created - a network that supported services for the transmission of voice, data, video and text. But those were only the first steps, and the real results and the actual “birthday” of Voice over IP (VoIP) and video conferencing came in the 90s.
The first sign that broke through the dam of "network silence" was the Internet Phone program, created by the Israelis from VocalTec. Internet Phone was released in early 1995 and, in fact, was a banal IM + softphone, with which you could call other PCs by voice. But what seems banal now, then evoked emotions like “omigod, it's magic !! 11.” And this despite the fact that this miracle worked in half-duplex mode, that is, unilaterally, as when talking on a walkie-talkie ( which is not surprising - the founders of VocalTec got the idea for the program while serving in the army, looking at packet voice radio).

Neither the above, nor the fact that the quality of communication usually left much to be desired, could stand in the way of progress - in a few weeks, thousands of people downloaded Internet Phone and immediately began to actively use it. This served as a go-ahead - it became obvious that the interest of the public is great, and the prospects for Internet telephony are huge. The market was immediately flooded with all sorts of clones of the Israeli program, and by the end of 1995, the DigiPhone software appeared on sale, which allowed you to listen and speak at the same time.

In the camp of software for transmitting video over the Web, things were also going well in the meantime. At the beginning of all the same 90s, craftsmen from Cornell University wrote the CU-SeeMe program, originally intended for Macs, and then released for Windows. By the way, it was with the help of CU-SeeMe in 1994 during the flight of the Endeavor NASA shuttle transmitted its image to Earth.

Interest in VoIP technology, that is, in the transmission of a voice signal over the Internet or other IP networks, grew rapidly, and already in 1996 the issues of standardization and adoption of regulations were ripe. The International Telecommunication Union, an international organization that defines recommendations in the field of telecommunications and radio, and also regulates the international use of radio frequencies, adopted recommendations for the H.323 standard, which was based on almost 50 other standards. Thus, the first standard was adopted for multimedia communication using packet-based networks that do not guarantee quality of service. At the same time, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), an open international community of designers, scientists, network operators and providers that develops the protocols and architecture of the Internet, developed the Realtime Transport Protocol (RTP), which found application in H.323.

The further development of VoIP proceeded as follows:

• 1996 was also marked by an agreement between VocalTec and the giant Dialogic. The goal of their joint project was to create the first specialized telephone gateway for IP telephony, called VocalTec Telephonе Gateway (VTG).
• 1997 gave the world the opportunity to make calls not only from PC to PC, but also from PC to phone and vice versa, as well as from phone to phone.
• The year 1999 was marked by the first specification of the open standard SIP (Session Initiation Protocols), which the guys from the IETF have been developing since 1996, and which will be discussed below. H.323 has a competitor that, as time will tell, will quickly make short work of its predecessor.

This is how the matter imperceptibly approached the new millennium, and hence the creation of Skype.

Skype

Skype belongs to the pen of European progers, namely the Estonians Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu and Jan Tallinn. These names may surprise someone, because in recent years, the creators of Skype are often called completely different people - the Dane Janus Friis (Janus Friis) and the Swede Niklas Zennstrom (Niklas Zennstrom). The thing is that both the first and the second are true.
It is possible that the names of the three Estonian developers not only caused surprise, but also seemed vaguely familiar to some readers. If you showed up, we hasten to please - you have an excellent memory. The fact is that in the early 2000s, these guys were developing the unforgettable KaZaA P2P file-sharing network, thanks to which they gained fame. The work on Skype, which gentlemen IT journalists unfairly credit to Friis and Zennstrom, respectively, was already after.

“Who are Zennström and Friis?” you ask. Of course, it was no coincidence that they also appeared in this story - this couple was directly related to the development and development of both projects (both KaZaA and Skype), and some of their "exploits" literally overshadowed the rest of the team. However, to call them "the creators of Skype" is a strong exaggeration, since these two are primarily businessmen and investors, but not developers. We will tell you more about Friis, Zennstrom and their role in Skype separately below, but for now let's get back to the program itself.

Active work on Skype was started in 2002 after a solid investment from the Draper Investment Company, and the software came out pretty quickly: the Skype.com and Skype.net domain names were registered in April, and the public saw the first beta release of the program already in August 2003. By the way, a random interesting fact - during development, the program was called Skyper (short for "Sky peer-to-peer"), and only closer to the completion of the work was renamed Skype, because the Skyper domain name was already taken.

So, what made Skype different from many other similar programs, which at that time were released a little more than a fig? Unlike other software designed for IP telephony, Skype used and still uses the P2P architecture for work, which is not at all surprising if we recall the track record of its creators. In fact, this is one of its main advantages: all voice traffic goes through the network nodes, which are the users themselves (and the more users use the system, the better it works). Skype can also route calls through the computers of other users, which allows users behind NAT or a firewall to connect to each other (creating an increased load on the channels of other users).

By the time Skype entered the IP telephony market, almost all of this market was occupied by software and hardware based on the SIP standard, which it's time to talk about in more detail.

Unlike the secret Skype protocol, SIP is completely open to developers, well thought out, and easy to implement in hardware. The SIP protocol was taken as a sample for SIP. SIP messages, like HTTP requests, are transmitted over the Internet in text form, and their formats partially coincide. This greatly simplifies the development and debugging of programs that support SIP, and, quite likely, contributed to its growth in popularity. Just like Skype, SIP does not have a centralized server - there are many servers; in fact, anyone can acquire one, and they all interact with each other. The tasks of the protocol include only the establishment and coordination of communication, and it is not at all necessary that this communication be voice - it can be any other data stream (video, multimedia, interactive service).

SIP is focused on working in local networks and on good Internet channels.

Skype is the complete opposite of SIP, although some evidence indicates that the Skype protocol is based on a modified SIP. Be that as it may, there are more than enough differences: Skype is a closed protocol, and, due to its P2P structure, uses forced encryption (data is encrypted using AES-256, which, in turn, uses a 1024-bit RSA key to transfer the key Users' public keys are certified by Skype's central server when they log in using either 1536- or 2048-bit RSA certificates) and are much better suited to extreme environments than SIP. The phrase “I’m at the door, and he’s at the window” most accurately reflects Skype’s behavior pattern - close the usual range of UDP protocol ports for it, and it will switch to free TCP ports, and if it presses completely, Skype is always ready to use an HTTP proxy. Some experts argue that the only way to completely block Skype is to analyze the contents of all packets that Skype, remember, encrypts. The program bypasses simpler methods.

All of the above has been seriously straining the special services of almost all countries of the world for many years - how is it that it is impossible to intercept and decipher something, this is definitely a mess! However, Switzerland, Australia, Austria, Germany and Russia have already hinted that they still have solutions for listening to Skype in their arsenal.

Skype is criticized by many security experts and even hackers. Back in 2007, in the 100th issue of ][ Chris Kaspersky devoted an extended article to this issue, entitled "Skype: a hidden threat." In the article, Chris writes the following: “Skype is a black box with a multi-level encryption system, stuffed with anti-debugging techniques of an executable file that reads confidential information from a computer and transmits it to the Network using a proprietary protocol. The latter bypasses firewalls and severely masks its traffic, preventing it from being blocked. All this makes Skype the ideal vector for viruses, worms and drones that create their own distributed networks within the Skype network.”

But Skype managed to conquer a wide audience not due to encryption and resourcefulness, but due to two very important things: simplicity and excellent sound quality.

Starting from the very first version, released in the fall of 2003, Skype supported 10 languages ​​and had the most simple interface, unlike other IMs, which was originally tailored specifically for voice communication. It also played a role that the entire procedure for installing the program and registering a new user was many times easier than that of competitors. As for codecs, Skype uses SVOPC (16 kHz), AMR-WB (16 kHz), G.729 (8 kHz) and G.711 (formerly ILBC and ISAC were also used), which, with a sufficient connection speed (30-60 Kbps) /c) allows you to get a sound comparable in quality to conventional telephone communication.

Immediately taking off the bat in 2003, Skype did not stop developing for a minute. With each new version, more and more new features and "conveniences" appeared. It makes no sense to list all these answering machines, online numbers, conferences, services for sending SMS, and so on, since the article is still not called “Skype services for dummies” :). Instead, I would like to note something else - the company developed steadily, despite the fact that in 2005 Friis and Zennstrom sold their offspring, which had already gained immense popularity (74.7 million accounts and an average of 10.8 million users on the network), eBay for the tidy sum of several billion dead presidents. The facts and figures clearly show that this has not affected the development of Skype in the worst way:

• As of today, there are more than 560 million accounts on Skype;
• There are versions of Skype for almost all platforms known to mankind, including mobile ones;
• The company provides a full range of VoIP services;
• Skype produces and sells various gadgets from headsets and webcams to full-fledged Skype-backgrounds - phones that can work with both the regular telephone network and Skype.

We shared an orange, or patent trolling

Now, after covering all sorts of technological aspects of Skype, we can talk about more fun things - for dessert, we have the real "scandals, intrigues, investigations."

As promised, let's return to the personalities of Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis and take a closer look at them. Zennström is a graduate of Uppsala University with a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's degree in physics. Friis, on the contrary, cannot boast of a "tower", since he once left school and went to work in the technical support of a local provider.
It so happened that at the very beginning of their life and career path, these two got a job at the Swedish telecommunications company Tele2, where in 1996 fate brought them together.

After working side by side for several years, Zennström and Friis got along so well that already in 2000 they decided to quit and start their own business, which became the KaZaA file-sharing network. In fact, to develop it, Friis and Zennström moved to Amsterdam, hired a team of programmers, and preferred to remain in leadership positions.

However, an incident came up with Kaza - the brainchild of Friis and Zennstrem did not have time to gain momentum, as active persecution began on peer-to-peer networks. Just then, the legendary Napster closed, and, as you know, a holy place is never empty - all illegal content flowed to other networks, one of which was KaZaA. Copycats immediately began to besiege our unfortunate businessmen, wanting to drown them in lawsuits, and this state of affairs was not at all to the liking of the newly minted startups. Zennström and Friis were forced to keep the location of the company's offices secret and, in the most literal sense, go on the run, hiding from the subpoenas that rained down like a cornucopia.

When it became finally clear that the saying “time heals” does not apply to this situation, and it only gets worse, it was decided to get rid of KaZaA. A bizarre deal was made, during which KaZaA went to the Australian company Sharman Networks, registered in the Pacific island of Vanuatu. However, something was not included in this deal at that time, something very important - the rights and patents for the peer-to-peer technology that was used in KaZaA. These rights remained in the hands of Zennstrom and Friis, or rather their new company Joltid, registered in the British Virgin Islands.

You already probably understand that all these details are given here for a reason. The fact is that later it was this technology that was used to create Skype.

By the way, if we talk about the role of Friis and Zennsterm in the creation of Skype, then everything was already familiar to us - hired programmers (the same Estonians who pored over KaZaA) and two inseparable startups as the founders of the project. Although, in fairness, it should be noted here that Zennstrom was faithful to Skype and remained as CEO until 2007, that is, for another two years after the sale of the company to eBay.

So eBay. As mentioned above, in 2005, just two years after its creation, Skype was sold to eBay for a fabulous sum of $2.6 billion, plus another $1.5 billion in a few years if Skype's financials were good (it was the largest eBay acquisition in the history of the auction). Both Friis and Zennström then suddenly became billionaires and, it would seem, could easily enjoy life, start and promote other projects, invest and just spend those same billions. But it was not there.

After waiting four long years after the deal, and having managed to launch the Joost startup in that time, the prudent couple decided that it was enough to watch the development of Skype from the outside. And development, by the way, was obvious: the number of users grew from 53 to more than 400 million, the international traffic of Skype in 2008 amounted to a record 33 billion minutes, but all this did not bring the desired money to eBay. And since the profits from Skype amounted to much more modest amounts than originally planned, in 2009 the largest auction on the planet decided to get rid of the acquisition, saying that it intends to again spin Skype into a separate company and put its shares on the exchange. This message caused Friis and Zennström to suddenly become active.

Few people initially understood why eBay bought Skype at all (official statements sounded too unconvincing: “for the convenience of communication between users of the auction”), but only in 2009 the whole comedy of the situation reached the general public. It turned out that by acquiring Skype itself, eBay managed to leave the rights and patents for the memorable key technology in the hands of its previous owners. Yes, Friis and Zennström represented by Joltid. And the owners, having learned about the upcoming listing of Skype on the stock exchange, developed a storm of activity, starting to return what was sold back. So, the New York Times, for example, leaked a rumor that the former owners of Skype have already managed to spend their billions and are now forced to communicate with private investors, trying to find the missing part of the amount to make a “reverse” deal.

Moreover, savvy businessmen immediately fired a “warning shot” - since eBay had been working with Joltid all this time under a license, Friis and Zennström filed a lawsuit in court, intending to cancel the validity of this license in the UK. To start.

Mutual blackmail and attacks towards each other lasted for almost six months. During this time, eBay, as if in response to the offer of Zennstrom and Friis to buy out their offspring, managed to sell 65% of Skype shares to Andreessen Horowitz's investor group for $ 2 billion. Resourceful businessmen immediately sued again, now against the new owners of Skype, accusing them of patent infringement and demanding $75 million for each day of the service's "illegal" operation. The auction, which Friis and Zennström also didn't leave alone (because eBay still had a 35% stake!), filed a counterclaim against Joltid to ban the company from using Skype's underlying technology. Realizing that the process would probably not be won, representatives of eBay, just in case, declared their readiness to rewrite Skype from scratch, if necessary.

The end of all this circus came quite recently, in November 2009. Surprisingly, the situation was nevertheless resolved peacefully. eBay, which had previously categorically refused to pay anything to ex-Skype owners, eventually agreed to the deal. Zennström and Friis did not remain in the overlay, they not only got seats on the board of directors again, but also snatched a 14% stake in Skype. The whole point of the situation is that they did not have to fork out - eBay agreed to their terms in exchange for a waiver of claims and licensing of their intellectual property.

We will, of course, never know what Zennström and Friis' original plan was, or if it existed at all. It is possible that they imagined "returning to Skype" a little differently, so to speak, in a more rosy light. Perhaps Joltid had the rights up its sleeve for a more appropriate occasion, and eBay's decision to get rid of Skype forced things. On the other hand, it may turn out that Friis and Zennström were not planning anything criminal at all, although it is very difficult to believe that they “accidentally” retained the rights to the key technology, and that Joltid, by pure chance, was opened in an offshore zone.

After the above, it would be reasonable to ask the question: “what will happen to Skype next?”, Because although the division is over, it cannot be said that everything is going very smoothly. No, no, yes, they will try to ban a softphone in some country or sue the company (recently, telecommunications and cellular operators in a number of countries, including Russia, have been very bad at Skype). However, this is connected not so much with Skype itself, but with VoIP telephony in general - in the latter, OPSOS and Co., due to paranoia, often see a competitor, pest and enemy number one.

Perhaps, with regard to the future of Skype, the following can be said for sure: one of the most popular and successful VoIP services, which is used by several hundred million people, cannot simply disappear into oblivion, no matter what happens. And if the founding fathers of this software also include two such cunning and stubborn types as Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, Skype will not only not disappear, but, most likely, will find better ways to monetize and increase profits.

Perhaps by the evening of May 10, the popular Internet resource Skype will have a new owner.

Skype was created by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis. The first release of the program and the website appeared in September 2003. The headquarters is located in Luxembourg.

October 2005 the company was bought by eBay for about $2.6 billion (an additional $500 million was later paid), but already at the end of 2009. The online auction site divested Skype by selling 65% of its shares to a group of investors for $1.9 billion: investment firm Silver Lake, venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (owned by Netscape founders Mark Andriessen and Ben Horowitz), venture capital firm Index Ventures, and Canadian pension fund investment company.

eBay has previously tried to sell Skype, explaining the offer by the fact that the provider is a non-core asset for the company. However, the deal never came to fruition due to disagreements with potential buyers over the terms of the purchase and the price itself.

Initially, Skype planned to go public with an initial public offering (IPO) of shares. During the IPO, the company hoped to raise about $ 1 billion. On May 5, 2011, information appeared that two online giants at once - Facebook and Google - were showing interest in buying the popular Skype Internet telephony service. The two companies have independently stepped up talks about a possible joint venture with a web-based video calling service. At the same time, Facebook is also considering the possibility of acquiring Skype as a whole, the source said. The estimated price of the proposed deal was about $4 billion.

However, the deal between Facebook and Skype made more sense, since Google already has a similar service - Google Voice.

On May 10, information appears in the media about the possible purchase of the popular Internet telephony service Skype by Microsoft, while the price of the transaction is expected to be twice as much as the competitors originally offered - about 8 billion dollars.

At the moment, negotiations on the possibility of buying Skype are still ongoing, and only by the evening of Tuesday, May 10, the official outcome of the deal will be finally known.

Thus, if the deal goes through, the purchase of Skype, whose services are used by more than 660 million people worldwide, will be the largest acquisition in the history of Microsoft.

Updated! The deal went through!

Microsoft's $8.5 billion offer was a record for Skype, which was valued at a modest $2.75 billion just a year and a half ago. In this situation, the usually thrifty American corporation preferred to overpay, but it was guaranteed to save itself from competitors in the face of Google and Facebook, who looked at things more realistically.

A joint official press release from Microsoft and Skype says that Skype will become part of the corporation as a separate division. It will be chaired by current Skype CEO Tony Bates. He will report directly to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

But the main thing that interests the multi-million audience of Skype is what fate will befall the service after its transition to a new owner. Anticipating this, Microsoft hastened to announce that it would continue to support versions of Skype for "foreign" platforms. These include both Skype clients for "desktop" Mac OS X and Linux, as well as mobile applications for iOS, Android and Symbian operating systems.

Otherwise, Microsoft intends to dispose of the service as follows. First of all, a version of Skype for the Windows Phone 7 platform will be released. It is logical to assume that the Skype client will be preinstalled on devices based on this OS, including Windows smartphones manufactured by Nokia, which should be released in late 2011 or early 2012. If Apple at one time had to develop the FaceTime video service for its computers and mobile devices literally from scratch, then Microsoft received it, in fact, already ready.

Second, Steve Ballmer's company emphasized that Skype will integrate its own online services, including Hotmail, Windows Live, Lync, a business-oriented communications platform, and Outlook.

Thirdly, Microsoft will find application for Skype in the field of video games. It was announced that users of the Xbox 360 gaming console will be able to work with the VoIP service. It is planned to use the Kinect controller in the video chat - how, one can only guess. The company already offers gamers a service for video calls Kinect Video with gesture control. On the basis of Kinect Video, Microsoft plans to launch the Avatar Kinect service, where instead of users, virtual characters will appear on the screen, repeating their movements and facial expressions.

A piece of the Skype pie could also fall to Facebook, which has fallen out of the race - after all, it is Microsoft that owns a 1.3 percent share in the social network.

With agree, Skype most users have long been associated with something incredibly solid and serious. I guess Skype really is a serious thing, since so many people use it and so many other people want to be aware of exactly how the first people use it. Only here is the history of the creation of Skype, and the history of its further development from the words "serious" and "solid", if not very far, then at least clearly not close.

Exactly Skype today it is almost the absolute leader in the number of dark stories, semi-legal deals and patent scandals. There are so many dark spots in the history of the program that by this criterion, it can easily win the title of world champion in gray schemes. However, while these are just words, let's move on to the facts.

Skype Background: Pirate Parents Make KaZaA

You may not believe me, but the founders of the program (not the developers, please note) were people with far from the most impeccable reputation. To complete the picture, let's fast forward to the very beginning of the "zero" when two enterprising companions Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström(pictured right) came up with and brought to light a program for sharing files KaZaA. A program that at one time broke many records in terms of the number of downloads.

It should be said that the founders of the file sharing service were mainly engaged in organizational and marketing issues, and our former compatriots, Estonians, were engaged in the implementation and creation of the project as such. Jaan Tallinn, Priit Kazesalu and Ahti Heinla(pictured left). All three programmers were in the same class.

And so, until the end of 2001, the file-sharing network was doing just fine, but then thunder struck: several very large music labels immediately sued the owners for copyright infringement. In fact, the program was declared illegal, and its owners were accomplices of pirates.

The founders of the service had to urgently go underground: the possibility of arrest and subsequent punishment was by no means illusory. For the time being, the Estonian programmers were not interested in the investigation, but then the turn came to them. Fortunately, no specific charges were brought against them.

The problems ended only at the end of 2001, when the owners of KaZaA resold the service to an Australian company Sharman Networks.

The former owners made a very wise move by pre-registering exclusive rights to the data transfer protocol Global Index P2P offshore (Virgin Islands). Now they had a protected patent, which investigators from Europe could no longer reach. But for the sake of which such complex machinations were carried out, I will tell in the next section.

Creation of Skype

As I already said, KaZaA was based on the P2P protocol, which, in fact, was the main feature of the service. Its unusualness is that the protocol code is closed and extremely complex, and all transmitted data is subject to mandatory encryption. In addition, it is convenient in that when using it, no special one is needed: users connected to computers act as roles. Accordingly, this dramatically complicates the interception and tracking of any transmitted information.

And with such a big trump card in my hands, it would be a crime not to create something innovative on its basis. Actually, this is exactly what the enterprising and far-sighted Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström did. Having received money to start a new project from a well-known venture capitalist, they began developing a completely new client for transmitting voice and other types of messages.

That's right, that's what Skype was known to everyone today.

Since the owners of Skype already had guys “in the know” (still the same team of Estonian programmers), we didn’t have to wait for a long start - August 29, 2003 the first official release of the program was released, which immediately attracted the attention of thousands of users.

What exactly did you take Skype for? Perhaps the main advantages were ease of use and excellent sound quality. Later - also multiplatform. In fact, a powerful blow was dealt to the stomach of the entire cellular telephony industry, because now communication between users anywhere in the world was completely free.

In other words, Skype has become popular not only among law-abiding users, the service has attracted all sorts of criminals, drug dealers, terrorists, and in general everyone who did not welcome the publicity of their negotiations. Due to the fact that the data was almost guaranteed to be protected from interception, Skype has become a favorite means of communication for many dark personalities.

It got to the point that Skype's Luxembourg office received hundreds of complaints from the intelligence services of a good dozen countries. The requirements were similar: ban, declassify, allow. Only the founders of Skype were already scientists: they had an impeccable legal base on their side, which 100% protected anyone from external intrusion and attacks.

Ebay and Skype

By 2005, Skype became so popular that the largest planet became interested in it. To tell the truth, the auctioneers themselves did not know what exactly this service had surrendered to them, but they felt its enormous potential, and therefore began negotiations on the purchase.

In the fall of 2005, Ebay announced the purchase of Skype for a fabulous for that time amount of $2.6 billion. In the blink of an eye, the founders of the service became billionaires, and the programmers got something: each of the starting trinity received $42 million.

It would seem that a period of recognition and calm has come, you can rest on your laurels and spend profits. Nothing like that: the former owners of the service managed to enter the same river twice. Paradoxically, they sued Skype, accusing the company of not having the right to consider the P2P protocol as its property, since the patent for the invention is still in the hands of the old owners. Hitro, do you agree?

I will not tell you about the long ups and downs, which, by the way, lasted more than one year, I will only say that there was a fair amount of noise. The result of all this is this: in November 2009, Skype was sold again, and the former pirates received a 14% stake in the service and a seat on the board of directors. And that's without a penny of investment, by the way. They just dropped legal action from Ebay (patent abuse, remember?).

Over the four years that Skype was owned by Ebay, the service managed to turn into a “candy”, becoming truly popular and loved all over the world. For greater effect, I will indicate only one figure: the number of users has grown from 55 to 400 million. The service was waiting for new owners who could afford such an expensive toy.

The era of Microsoft in Skype

And the big fish bit. In 2011, an agreement was reached on the purchase of Skype by a well-known company for again a record $8.5 billion. Of course, Microsoft's lawyers have now done everything so that the patent embarrassment does not happen again. The rights to Skype were obtained in absolute terms, and the cunning Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström again had a considerable profit in the form of hundreds of millions of dollars for their block of shares. In fact, they managed to get money from different companies twice for the same product. These are, indeed, the sharks of capitalism.

The new owners got down to business seriously, since their resources were almost endless. It is thanks to strong technical support and huge financial investments that today Skype is one of the most popular and sought-after programs in the world. The number of users has long exceeded half a billion, and this, as experts say, is far from the limit.

She is so incredible the history of the creation of Slype. The history of a service that brought billions to someone, and only a headache and numerous problems to someone. And this, I can assure you, is only a small part of the iceberg. Many facts are still reliably hidden from the general public and are unlikely to ever be made public.