Ben Lilienthal on HiDef Audio, Skype, and conferencing
I talked with Ben Lilienthal last week about his HiDefConferencing.combusiness at Citrix. HiDef is the only conference bridge that lets Skype directly into a call with Skype's high quality audio, established in 2003 alongside Skype.
SJ: What are users' biggest problems with audio conferencing at it is today?
Ben Lilienthal: Cost. Clarity around pricing and expected cost.
How does audio conferencing fit into the world of social software and social media?
I'm not sure it does. We offer asynchronous components that let you upload meeting recordings to blogs and other web sites. Could that fit in? Over half of users use the recording feature.
What does high definitions audio mean to you today? Is that changing?
It means 16x16 or 16x22 [bit rate x sample rate]. It's becoming more prevalent. It's not anything more ubiquitous. When we launched HiDef two years' ago nobody had heard of high definition.
What companies or institutions need to support HD audio for it to be more than a niche offering?
We're seeing it in Skype, Cisco, Polycom (Siren codec). Lots of siloed approaches. I don't know how you make it a ubiquitous standard when they each have their own.
When will we see your iPhone app?
I'm not convinced that you will for the audio.
What do you make of Skype's SILK wideband audio codec release?
It requires a significant engineering effort and we're a little reluctant to make the investment because Skype seems to be eating their young. Nobody else seems to be using SILK. Besides, do I want a relationship with a partner who may throw me out the door?
What capabilities do you want Skype's gateway to offer you that don't exist now? What would you like to improve or change?
We're pretty happy with it. We only use Skype as a means of access to our service. We probably do more than five million minutes a month in Skype traffic.
Citrix has a growing family of services, including GoToMeeting. Will the audio parts of your sister business units be adopting your audio infrastructure? Will HiDef Audio continue under its own name?
We are using the HiDef bridge with our GoToWebinar customers. Starting in the fourth quarter, you'll have the option for HiDef when you buy the toll free option in GoToMeeting.
What are some of the big trends you're following in the conferencing space?
It's a race to the bottom, like what happened to long distance a decade ago. So we're differentiating on quality, ease of use, pricing, packaging. We're selling on features, ease of use.
Integration with web conferencing is a big one. Being able to go to GoToMeeting with high definition, for example.
Multiple points of ingress to a call: phones, Skype, and browser.
See also in Skype Journal:
- SILK: Skype's New Audio Codec Sets New Performance Standards for Voice Conversations
- SILK performs better
- Codec Wars: Yahoo! Messenger 10 + GIPS Video
- Fidelity Wars: Microsoft strains video call resolution
- Managing the Google/On2 merger at Skype
- Could Plantronics launch the first SILK Bluetooth headset? [no]
- Skype Red: The Hardware Story [fiction]
- Skype will license its superwideband codec for free
- Skype to announce… something? at eComm09
- High Definition Voice: Bringing Skype's High Bandwidth Audio to Conference Calls
- It's Now Official: HiDefConferencing Rebranding Has Happened
- VAPPS leaves freemium for HiDef Conferencing
- Another Skype Partner Acquired: VAPPS Goes to Citrix
- VAPPS Rebrands Its Service: High Definition Conferencing
- Alternatives to Skypecasts
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