Skype founders turn their attention to television
In 2003, Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom
launched Skype, an online communication tool that has forced some of the
world’s largest telecommunications groups to rethink their business
models. Now they are hoping to do the same for television.
In 2003, Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom launched Skype, an online communication tool that has forced some of the world’s largest telecommunications groups to rethink their business models. Now they are hoping to do the same for television.
“At the time we launched Skype, broadband capacity was extremely ripe for communication,” Mr Friis recalls. “Now, three years later, it’s the same thing for video: you can do TV over the internet in a really good way. TV is a huge medium – that’s something we’d like to be a part of.”
The Venice Project’s blog describes its mission as “fixing TV, removing artificial limits such as the number of channels that your cable or the airwaves can carry and then bringing it into the internet age”.
At this point in time, anyone who can offer easy access to IPTV — and independent programming — is worth attention.
Posted: Mon - December 18, 2006 at 07:56 AM