Arguably the world's best-known political dissident, Aung San Suu Kyi spent 15 years under house arrest in her native Myanmar (Burma). After her release in 2010, she maintained a busy schedule of speaking to various heads of state and her many supporters around the globe.
However, Suu Kyi's last passport was revoked some 24 years ago. She has not set foot outside of the country in decades. Not once.
This week, Suu Kyi joined former President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush via Skype at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, DC. The event was held to launch a program that will document the stories of dissidents around the world who risk their own lives to help their countrymen move toward greater freedom and democracy.
While other dissidents from China, Cuba and Syria, were honored for their selfless work, Suu Kyi's appearance was clearly the highlight of the Council on Foreign Relations event. Long a supporter of Suu Kyi, Laura Bush stated, "[Aung San Suu Kyi's] example shows people everywhere that political isolation and prison cannot silence the call for liberty."
With Skype projected on a massive screen behind the stage, Suu Kyi was able to share some words of encouragement with the other human rights and democracy advocates. She reassured them by saying, "Persevere. You will get there in the end, just go on."
Suu Kyi also took the opportunity to confirm to the world that she has, in fact, just received her new passport from the Myanmar government. She is making plans to travel to the UK - where her sons live - and to Norway, where she will finally pick up her Nobel Prize... some 21 years after it was originally awarded to her.
Whether Suu Kyi makes her speeches in the future by Skype or in person, she has already shown how Skype can be used to overcome isolation and to make the world a smaller, better place. We are sure that others will follow in her footsteps.
We're excited to be at the Consumer Electronics Show this week and we know there will be many different partners, hardware device manufacturers, and innovators at the event that will display products which either embed or support Skype software.
For example, Skype will have a section in the Microsoft booth (LVCC Central Hall #7244) with various Skype-enabled PCs and devices. In addition, various TV manufacturers will have a bunch of examples of Skype on your TV and a series of new webcams will be shown, including Logitech's brand new C920 HD Pro Webcam. TelyLabs will also be showcasing the latest way to place high-definition Skype video calls through your home TV with its TelyHD.
Help us locate the many different Skype-enabled devices that you see at CES. When you spot a product with Skype, just snap a photo and tweet it at @SkypeEvents with the hashtag #SpotSkype. Or you can use the tag SpotSkype when you upload them to Flickr, where we'll be creating a collection of photos. Do try to let us know the booth name or booth number you found the product at so we can leave behind a tip on our Foursquare page so that others can find them when they check-in along the way. And some of our favorite pics may win a prize.
As we mentioned in our blog on Friday, we'd also love for you to stop by the Skype Lounge (booth #CP13) in the parking lot outside the Las Vegas Convention Center to share the moment with us. And, if you want to snap a photo of our Lounge and tweet it out with hashtag #SpotSkype too, we'd love that. You just might win a prize during our daily giveaways at the Skype Lounge.
The Skype team is hitting the road and heading to Las Vegas for the annual International Consumer Electronics Show, January 10th - 13th. CES is the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow, featuring over 2,000 exhibitors from the technology space, showcasing the latest in PCs, tablets, mobiles, devices, apps, and more.
If you're headed to CES, you won't want to miss Skype. Our home at CES will be the Skype Lounge (Location: CP13, Central Plaza), which is located in the parking lot in front of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Skype Lounge will be our central hub for all things Skype, where you'll be able to see our latest innovative products across many devices and platforms. In addition, we thought it would be fun to bring the excitement of Las Vegas directly into the Skype Lounge, where we will - beam in the brand new tower at Caesars, showcase indoor skydiving, introduce the performers at Circus Circus, and participate in a Vegas wedding, and much more - all from live video calls streamed into the Skype Lounge.
So swing by our lounge, check out the experiences and demo some of the latest technologies from Skype. And here's a big tip... if you're coming to CES, don't forget to download Skype's GroupMe app to your mobile phone and set up your group to keep in touch with your friends and colleagues throughout the week. GroupMe is a fantastic way to stay connected, especially at a big event like CES, so you can share the latest and greatest information or sightings with others who are in your group at the event. And, if you create you groups at http://www.groupme.com/skypelounge, you'll also get timely updates about the exciting things happening in the Skype Lounge throughout the week at CES.
This is the one time when what happens in Vegas isn't staying in Vegas. So, if you aren't coming to CES, you can still experience the moments by following us any one of these ways:
In order to brighten the spirit of the holidays, Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton hosts an annual "Diplomacy at Home for the Holidays" event honoring the service, dedication and sacrifice of U.S. government employees and their families who are separated for long periods of time due to assignments in hardship posts around the world. Understanding how important it is to stay connected to loved ones, this year, the Office of the Chief of Protocol turned to Skype to help bring these separated families together over the holiday season using new and innovative technologies.
At this year's event, which is taking place later this afternoon, families will be able to celebrate and re-connect in a meaningful way with their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and other loved ones who are serving at US Embassies around the world via Skype. In addition, a Skype Group Video Call will also be set up so that personnel around the world can view a live stream of the program hosted by Secretary Clinton.
Skype feels privileged to be playing such an instrumental part in connecting these diplomatic families with their loved ones at this event. We'll be attending the event and sharing photos and video from the event via @Skype on Twitter and in a gallery on our Facebook page. Perhaps we'll even have the chance to talk with Secretary Clinton or Ambassador Marshall about the important role these diplomats are playing around the world? If we do, we'll be sure to share it with you.
For more details, check out the U.S. State Department's press release here.
This afternoon, I had the opportunity to join a dynamic community of global leaders at the 2nd Annual Social Good Summit presented by Mashable, the 92nd Street Y, and the United Nations Foundation to discuss a big idea: the power of innovative thinking and technology to solve our greatest challenges.
Specifically, I took to the stage to discuss Skype's unique ability to facilitate social good through the removal of traditional economic, geographic and/or cultural barriers to communication. This can be illustrated through our 'Skype in the classroom' initiative, which embodies the three characteristics that are central to our brand: Universal, Useful and Wonderful.
The Universal nature of Skype software means that anyone anywhere can use it to connect with anyone somewhere else around the world. An example illustrating this took place earlier this year, when a geography class in the United Kingdom wanted to learn how tourism impacted the lives of the Massai tribe in Tanzania. Because they used the same Skype software, the class and the tribesmen were able to talk across continents and cultural boundaries to learn a lot about their different lifestyles.
The Useful nature of Skype means that educators can put it into practical use to truly enrich the learning process. From the hundreds of projects that educators have collaborated on, we seen that this ranges from bringing in actresses, authors, politicians and other guest lecturers to teach lessons or connecting with people overseas to learn more about the culture in a foreign country or to practice speaking another language with a native speaker.
But most importantly, Skype in a classroom setting leads to Wonderful learning experiences. For example, teachers can now not only give a lesson about the war in Afghanistan, but also they can start a Skype pen pal program with a class in Afghanistan to help their students understand what it's like to live in a war-torn country.
As you'll see from the testimonials in this video, there are so many different ways that educators are using Skype in their classrooms - the only limit is their imagination.
During my speech, I also had the pleasure to talk live via Skype video call with an engineering class at the Oliver Street Elementary School in Newark, NJ. Oliver Street School is the first school in Newark to offer its middle school students courses from Project Lead the Way (PLTW), the leading provider of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) education curricular programs. The school's goal is to inspire students to pursue 21st Century careers by providing them a program in which they learn practical applications for what they learn in their core academic courses. And Skype is playing a huge role in getting their students excited about learning. I'd like to thank the school's principal, Mr. Havier Nazario, the class' teacher, Mr. Alan Usherenko, and sixth grader Giovanna Bialoglowka for opening their classroom up to us and sharing how they recently used Skype to connect with engineers at New York University to learn more about the fabrication and cutting of metal.
Many of these connections wouldn't be possible without our free 'Skype in the classroom' online resource, which allows teachers and subject-matter experts to find like-minded individuals with whom they can collaborate on projects and share educational resources with one another. In the six months since 'Skype in the classroom' officially launched, the response has been greater than we ever could have imagined. The following infographic illustrates the scale of this initiative's global impact to date:
It is truly amazing to visit the 'Skype in the classroom' site and read about the ways that our software is transforming the educational experience of students in so many teachers' classrooms. And it is inspiring to think about a classroom of the future where the learning process is never limited by physical, economic or cultural boundaries. It's a place where students will be able to use technology to have access to big data to start attacking some of the world's most pressing issues and crises. And it's also somewhere we can reduce suspicion of foreign cultures, minimize racism and increase tolerance through the connectedness that is born through technology.
We really see the possibility of making a million connected classrooms a reality and we will continue to do our part in working together to foster the classroom of the future, through the 'Skype in the classroom' resource and partnerships with both for profit, not-for-profit and governmental organizations. We invite you to join us in this initiative at http://education.skype.com.
To share the infographic above, use this embed code:
If a photo is worth 1,000 words, a video call is worth 1,000,000 words.
Facial expressions and real-time reactions are the little nuances that make a conversation that much more meaningful. Every day on Skype, the great things people want to say and share are expressed through face-to-face video conversations.
Today on Skype's 8th birthday, we want to celebrate the 100s of millions of people who are doing great things - sharing stories, information, special moments - across the world in so many places. It's the real life moments that matter - the fun, silly, adorable, caring, engaging - all the stuff we know you love to do over Skype, especially whenever you're apart from the people who you care about the most.
What started off as a little idea to connect the world over video calls has turned into something so much more, and we believe this is making a huge difference in making the world feel smaller and a lot more connected.
If you wish to share your favorite Skype moment for our 8th Birthday, tweet using hashtag #ILOVESKYPE. Follow us on Twitter @Skype or at Facebook.com/Skype.
After decades of waiting for it, mobile video is finally a reality but people still want more. Not just content with watching it, we've wanted to interact with it, make it and use it on the go. Technical limitations, however, have limited us. But no more. Today we live in an age where mobile video shooting, editing and so much more is possible from devices small enough to fit in even the smallest of pockets.
Tomorrow, our Chief Technology Strategist, Jonathan Rosenberg will be talking at SXSW about how this has come about. In what will be a brutally frank presentation, Jonathan will look at what has inhibited progress and what has needed to happen to allow us to get to where we are today. He'll share details on the technical hurdles that the industry has been working on to help the science fiction of mobile video conversations become a reality as well as a little on what Skype has learned along the way.
We invite all that are in Austin for SXSW to come and join us for this behind the scenes eye opener. And don't forget to bring your questions.
Where: AT&T Conference Center
When: Tuesday, 3/15 @ 11:00 a.m.
Who: Jonathan Rosenberg, Chief Technology Strategist
Sometimes a perfect combination of events creates something even greater than the sum of the parts. Well we think that's firmly in the cards at this year's SXSW, and the parts in this equation are already pretty impressive!
We're incredibly excited to be part of SXSW Interactive this year, and even more thrilled to be hosting our very own party. It's going to be one hell of an evening, made all the more amazing with the appearance of a few special guests (think tech giants), our take on the family game show favorite - Family Feud, and a performance by Cut Chemist.
Party details are below, and we encourage everyone that will be in Austin to RSVP here for the night of fun. However before the fun (and open bar) starts, we need a little help.
As mentioned, we'll be hosting our own tech version of Family Feud. That's where you come in! We need answers we can use to poll the panelists from some of the largest internet companies around. Between now and the show, we'll be posting a series of short (and we really mean short) surveys - all we ask if you take a minute or two to fill these out. Click here for the first survey and be sure to tweet (#SkypeSXSW) and share - you can get the results in Austin.
Our CTO, Jonathan Rosenberg will also be involved, presenting a session on "The Ten Deadly Sins of Mobile Video Calling." During the session, he'll look at why it's taken so long to get to where we are today, what has changed and what's next for video calling. More info can be found here.
Can't wait to see you at the party and the panel.
Date: March 13, 2011
Time: 7:00 pm - 1:30 am
Location: Scoot Inn, Austin, TX
Hosted by: Skype
Open bar and food provided.
*Note: Your SXSW IA, GOLD or PLATINUM badge is your ticket when you arrive.
We’re counting down to TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco next week. A team of us from Skype’s Silicon Valley office are planning to visit the headliner event. We’re not only excited to check out the sessions, but we’re especially looking forward to the Startup Battlefield event at TechCrunch Disrupt.
As the official video calling host for TechCrunch Disrupt, Skype has been a key tool in the event’s Startup Battlefield competition. According to TechCrunch event organizers, “We’ve performed over 250 video calls and demos for Disrupt on Skype plus countless hours of calls, conference calls and chat sessions.”
That’s great. Not only do we think Skype is an essential tool for almost any business, but we also think it’s really novel that hundreds of startups and entrepreneurs are using Skype to be interviewed by TechCrunch. The final selected contestants will have their chance to pitch their ideas or products in person at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference, for a cash prize of $50,000 that can be used to help them bring their idea to the market.
Millions of people use Skype every day, and in the first half of 2010, Skype video calling represented approximately 40% of all Skype-to-Skype minutes. In fact, approximately 37% of over 40,000 of our connected users surveyed in the first quarter of 2010 told us they use Skype occasionally or often for business related purposes. Businesses are using Skype to benefit from lower costs and expand how employees, customers, partners and suppliers communicate and collaborate with ease-of-use, greater convenience and efficiency.
Check out these tips to get started using Skype for your business today.
If you can’t arrange an in-person meeting, suggest hosting the meeting over a Skype video call. Ensure you have a high quality webcam and microphone, high-speed Internet access, and Skype software downloaded to your computer.
If there are more than two parties on the call, Skype’s latest beta for Windows can support group video calling, so you can talk to multiple colleagues or customers.
If you want an easy way to manage and allocate credit for multiple Skype accounts for your organization, use Skype Manager.
Don’t forget if you want to show a demo or run through a presentation, Skype’s screen sharing feature is easy and useful. In fact, check out this great TechCrunch post here about Skype screen sharing.
Last but not least, a little bit of etiquette can go a long way when communicating with business associates over Skype. We enjoyed these great etiquette tips from TechCrunch here.
At Skype, we know the power of conversation. We know that just one conversation can spark incredible ideas. Ideas that address the world's most intractable problems - like hunger, poverty and disease. We also know that all too often conversations on these subjects are limited to the inner circles of world leaders, politicians and think tanks. That's why we are so proud to join 92nd Street Y, Mashable and the United Nations Foundation in opening up the conversation around social good.
On September 20, Skype video calling will be used to connect leaders from the online, business, policy and media worlds to the Mashable and 92Y Social Good Summit. At the summit, top minds in digital media will come together to discuss how technology and social networks can play a leading role in addressing the U.N.'s "Millennium Development Goals" (MDGs). Participating speakers include Pete Cashmore, CEO/Founder of Mashable, Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook and founder of Jumo, Susan Smith Ellis, CEO of (RED), and Ted Turner, the Chairman of Turner Enterprises, among others.
The Social Good Summit takes place during United Nations Week, which plays host to the annual General Assembly and a historic summit on global issues known as the "Millennium Development Goals" (MDGs). The Social Good Summit will be open to the public and will enable millions to join the conversation via livestreaming.
Skype will also play a central role in the UN Foundation and Mashable-sponsored Digital Media Lounge, which will be hosted at 92Y throughout UN Week, September 21-24, allowing real-time, face-to-face communications. The fully wired lounge will provide the online community exclusive access to high-level UN officials and international leaders. Bringing UN closed-door conversations out in the open, experts in poverty, hunger, HIV/AIDs, women's health, and climate change will be able to connect with bloggers and journalists both in person and through Skype video calling interview facilities.
We hope you'll join us and lend your voice to the conversations on social good taking place during UN Week. You can participate by ordering tickets for the Social Good Summit here or watching the livestream via Skype's Facebook page.
I'm happy to announce that we have just opened our representative office for the Middle East and Africa region in Manama, the capital of Bahrain.
Today, at a press conference held jointly with the Bahrain Economic Development Board, we explained some of the key reasons to why we chose Bahrain.
Bahrain provides one of the most energetic environments to support and encourage innovation - it has a talented local workforce as well as forward thinking economic development strategies that help support business. In addition, as a gateway to the Gulf, Bahrain is the ideal location from which to support our global strategy - ensuring Skype is available for anyone, anywhere who want to do things together.
I'll be leading Skype's activities in the region, so if you have any questions, queries or just want to discuss the squad selection made by Algeria's coach , please get in touch.
CommunicAsia is the region’s biggest consumer electronics event, and this year Skype is here in force. In an hour’s time (0930 SGT), Josh Silverman will take to the stage to deliver this year’s visionary address. You can watch it live above, or read on for some clues as to what’s inside.
You can follow along on this blog, or on one of our Twitter accounts – and if you’re at CommunicAsia, come to say hello in Hall 4. You might even find a surprise or two
Heather McPhie is an Olympic freestyle skier, who competed in the Ladies’ Moguls in Vancouver this year. I invited her to write about her experience of the Olympics and of Skype. Watch out for the second post about her competition day in the coming weeks.
One of my favorite things about the Olympics is the sense of connection. Athletes, staff, family, fans, and Olympic enthusiasts from all over the world coming together to watch the dreams and dedication of the worlds top athletes. When I say coming together I do not mean solely the people who travel to the Olympics; I mean everyone who watches, thinks about, and becomes involved in the Olympics and what it represents. In my opinion it does not matter which athletes or what country you are cheering for or representing, it matters that you are part of it. It matters that the world is coming together to celebrate something positive.
My world has exponentially expanded from becoming an Olympian. The amount of people I have gotten to meet, who have sent me encouraging words and been a part of my journey so far have made me feel more a part of the whole than ever. Made me feel closer to my hometown, my family and friends, my country and the world.
What an amazing gift to be able to connect people. Skype does that for me almost every day, and especially when I am on the road, away from many of my family and friends. To be able to see my sister and my nephew the morning of my event at the Olympics meant the world to me. I got a cyber hug from my sister, and got to listen to my nephew babble and laugh and play. To listen to my friend Susan talk about her Heather McPhie Olympic party in Park City and getting to Skype with people during the event brought tears to my eyes. It is an amazing sense of support and comfort to me, and I think of all the ways it has positively affected my life and I can not imagine how many other people feel the same way.
Pursuing my dreams in freestyle mogul skiing has taught me so much about myself, and taken me all over the world. It has been a wonderful journey, but also one that has felt lonely at times. My trip to Olympics and the coming World Cups has me away from home for two months. That is a long time for me to not see my family and friends. Skype has shortened the distance, made it easier for me to feel a part of things at home, while being on the road.
Next week in Barcelona is Mobile World Congress – the world’s biggest mobile industry event. We’ll be there in force, and will have a couple of exciting announcements to make. Russ Shaw, VP and GM of our mobile business, gives a few hints in the video above.
You can also join us at our tweetup for drinks and a chance to talk to everyone from engineers to marketers about the week’s announcements. It kicks off at 1730 on Wednesday 17th, and you can find us in the App Planet in hall 7 – just look out for the blue signs and Skype employees.
Change often starts with having a conversation. At Skype, we're proud to enable global conversations that can help end poverty. We are partnering with the United Nations Millennium Campaign to foster conversations about the most important issues facing our generation during "Stand Up and Take Action!," the annual mobilization where citizens gather at events around the world to demand that world leaders eradicate extreme poverty by 2015.
As part of the program, for the first time, Skype is collaborating with Ustream to enable video calls about global poverty between world leaders, celebrities, and citizens globally to be broadcast on the internet live via Ustream's interactive video broadcasting platform. The Skype calls will be broadcast on both the Stand Up Take Action! page on Facebook and Ustream's web site.
Those participating in the Skype video calls include former Irish President Mary Robinson, as well as African entertainers Femi Kuti and Angelique Kidjo. The calls will take place throughout this week, leading up to the "Stand Up and Take Action!" weekend on October 16-18 when millions of citizens will take part in activities demanding that world leaders keep their promises to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
We hope you will join us to stand up to poverty by engaging in your own dialogues about this global crisis and what can be done to eradicate it. To find out how to get involved in "Stand Up and Take Action" events happening across the globe, please visit www.standagainstpoverty.org.
, please get in touch.
