Skype vs. Fring: What does it mean for SkypeKit developers?

I was as excited as everyone else when I saw that Fring had launched a video calling app for the iPhone 4. FaceTime is cool and all, but you can only connect to other FaceTime users. The Fring app is more of what we expect in this day and age. I want my Google Chat to connect with my AIM buddy list and if I want to video chat, I want to video chat with anyone from any of my many social media friend lists regardless of platform. The FaceTime app is the beginning, but as someone who owns a Mac and never uses iChat, I know that it will quickly be displaced by apps such as Fring.

The problem with software offerings like Fring is that they do piggy back on the success of other applications. Skype is a juggernaut with its own aspirations for video calling in the mobile space, and its working hard to secure partnerships (including Verizon) to make its future offerings work well. Skype has a history of pulling software when the end-user experience is not up to snuff and with the demand for mobile video calling mixed with the lack of capacity on the networks, they are probably right to at least discourage Fring. However, just as they discourage Fring from stepping on their mobile toes, they are encouraging more developers to use their API and Skype functionality.

At issue is Fring's use of Skypes API and a license disagreement. Fring was able to jump the gun of Skype's own offerings using the API, which apparently caught Skype's attention. Skype claims that Fring was violating its terms of use and end user license for the API. While Skype claims Fring withdrew its Skype functionality voluntarily, Fring claims that Skype ask them not to continue using Skype for their service.

Whatever the case may be, the whole scuffle comes at an interesting time as Skype launches its SkypeKit for Windows and OSX in order to encourage software developers and device makers to embed Skype functionality in everything possible. What does this debate say to developers currently deciding whether to start work on adding Skype functionality to their projects? If Skype really wants their product in every device or piece of software, they are going to have to let upstarts like Fring trail-blaze even when they compete with some of Skype's direct offerings. If you want to encourage a developer community, you need to be prepared to cheer on more innovative and ahead-of-their time type developments even when they might be beating you to the punch. -Mike

P.S. All this musing aside, Mike over at FierceWireless brings up a more practical point. Isn't this all moot if data plans are capped and video calling ends up costing too much? Check it out here.