Top model Anina points us to a new service from Conectotel, allowing any GSM user to send an SMS to a Skype user. Cool, but useful ?
There is no presence information in the SMS world, which is why we all like IM so much. In addition, how do they interface to skype's address book ? I guess you'd have to enter all contacts one by one.
So the big question is: who's launching Skype-to-SMS now ?
Actually a number of people have already tried this (just google://"skype SMS"):
- conectotel run a test for 3 days in February 2005; but the service is no longer available. why?
Who's bridging the IM community and the SMS community ? (many have tried on Y!IM, AIM, MSN... Mobile operators still have a closed-fence approch to interconnecting both these worlds: a quick math should show that the cannibalization threat is rather small, and a first-mover advantage from mobile operators should help drive the market. Olivier had a good analysis a while ago.
Actually, googling myself on this blog:
- in october 2004: "I wouldn't be surprised at all, if a SkypeIM to SMS were made available on the market real quick..."
- in august 2004: "I have already warned that Skype is getting into this space. I really wouldn't be surprised at all it they offered IM-to-SMS functionnality in the VERY short term!"
