SkypeKit is out of beta

At the end of last year, the number of devices connected to the Internet exceeded the 5-billion mark, according to IMS Research. Around the same time, the analytic firm predicted that by 2020, we could have acquired 22 billion connected devices. So what will be special about the next 17 billion devices? Video. When you talk about connecting devices to the Internet, we want you to think more. Think about how people connect with each other - such as you and me, and devices are ultimately just a “conductive medium."

In light of the above, we are pleased to announce that SkypeKit, a set of software and API that allows you to implement the ability to make voice and video calls via Skype in Internet-connected devices, is now open to a wide community of developers. We believe that SkypeKit makes ubiquitous video chat opportunities truly endless, and we know that for this new wave of connected devices, video will be a critical component. In fact, consumer electronics developed using SkypeKit will make it possible to communicate with friends and colleagues around the world as easily as sitting with them at the table, kitchen or meeting room.

When we first introduced the SkypeKit beta in 2010, we set about accelerating Skype’s penetration of consumer electronics across platforms. Now that SkypeKit is out of beta testing, almost any developer will be able to use the full power of voice and video communication over Skype in their new, exciting and unusual devices. You can create everything you can imagine.

With SkypeKit, we want to help you create products that stand out from the rest. We understand that simply connecting to the Internet is no longer enough to stand out, and we believe that Internet + voice + video is becoming a kind of success formula for modern devices.
 

SkypeKit is supported by the broader Skype Developer Program and community. As part of this community, Skype provides comprehensive recommendations, tutorials, and a support forum for our development partners.

Developers using SkypeKit will also have the right to use the official Plugged into Skype badge to indicate approved products that can be used as a marketing tool. Adding Skype functionality to any device gives access to a community of Skype users around the world.

For more information, go to: http://developer.skype.com .