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Source: Microsoft mulled an $8B bid for Slack, will focus on Skype instead

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Re: Source: Microsoft mulled an $8B bid for Slack, will focus on Skype instead

#151

Post by k__ »

mmaunder wrote: post #139

Really glad MS didn't buy Slack. I think they're going to be an amazing big business that will generate a lot of cash and opportunity. Most acquisitions by big businesses, either early or late stage, destroy value. Big biz thinks they can innovate by buying. Smaller biz wants an exit. The innovation exits on acquisition and after earn-out. Both suffer and we all lose what could have been the next Google.

I think it depends on the level where the business acts on.

If you have a real low level technology, an acquisition can be a good thing, because the big corp could integrate it some of their products and increase the spreading.

But yeah, if we look at Skype and WhatsApp, it's probably good that Slack didn't get acquired.

Re: Source: Microsoft mulled an $8B bid for Slack, will focus on Skype instead

#152

Post by kough »

Negative1 wrote: post #138
cdnsteve wrote: post #93

We initially used Skype on our team to communicate with others. However, the software was horribly buggy on OSX. Slack has become part of our main toolchain. It works, has the basic features you need and doesn't get in our way. The integrations are great and we'll continue to use them. Unless Microsoft rebuilds Skype for the ground up, I don't see us leaving Slack for it. They had their chance, and they dropped the b…

"Unless Microsoft rebuilds Skype for the ground up" This. This exactly. Is it really unbelievable to assume Microsoft wouldn't attempt to build their own IRC+ clone and save a few billion while they are at it? I do agree with you, Slack is much better than Skype, but I would add that Lync is just as good. I went from Lync to Slack (after changing jobs) and I would say that Lync not only works just as well but has mor…

When I was forced to use Lync (due to an acquisition) in 2014 it was absolutely fucking terrible. The OS X client failed to report online status correctly, couldn't participate in most group chats or video or audio calls, and crashed regularly. Also weirdly non-native UI. And, no linux client to speak of - for a startup like the one I worked for where many devs used linux, that was a nonstarter. Has the story improved since then? (Thankfully no longer have to deal with it since I quit that job a half year later)

Re: Source: Microsoft mulled an $8B bid for Slack, will focus on Skype instead

#153

Post by rokhayakebe »

k__ wrote: post #151
mmaunder wrote: post #139

Really glad MS didn't buy Slack. I think they're going to be an amazing big business that will generate a lot of cash and opportunity. Most acquisitions by big businesses, either early or late stage, destroy value. Big biz thinks they can innovate by buying. Smaller biz wants an exit. The innovation exits on acquisition and after earn-out. Both suffer and we all lose what could have been the next Google.

I think it depends on the level where the business acts on. If you have a real low level technology, an acquisition can be a good thing, because the big corp could integrate it some of their products and increase the spreading. But yeah, if we look at Skype and WhatsApp, it's probably good that Slack didn't get acquired.

Weren't both of these somewhat successful acquisitions? i.e. Would Skype have been better today without the acquisions, and did WhatsApp suffer product-wise as a result of being part of FB?

Re: Source: Microsoft mulled an $8B bid for Slack, will focus on Skype instead

#154

Post by jcurbo »

sciurus wrote: post #126
jcurbo wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use Discord for gaming (which seems to be their main market?) and it is amazing how nice it is. I wonder if Slack could just buy them and integrate the voice features into Slack, or introduce their own similar functionality. The voice stuff is seriously very nice and something that Slack doesn't do at all.

Slack has voice in beta. https://get.slack.help/hc/en-us/articles/216771908-Making-vo...

That's good to hear, I hope it is as streamlined as Discord because it really just works there. It's also free in Discord (although I don't know what their business plan is) and according to that page it'll be part of the Standard plan and above. (group calls, that is) But I understand if they're targeting different audiences (business vs gamers).

Re: Source: Microsoft mulled an $8B bid for Slack, will focus on Skype instead

#155

Post by tomlongson »

teen wrote: post #128
jklinger410 wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As far as I know most people use Skype for business calls. Maybe "team communication" was something that can be done with Skype, but I don't really think it's their core focus. I think what them not buying Slack is implying is that they will start to try and actually compete with Slack directly. Instead of just internet telephony.

It's also used for video games a lot, but between leaking your IP and allowing esports players to get DDOSed, and just generally being not a great fit, Discord is getting more popular.

I hadn't heard about any data leaks from Slack, so I looked it up:

http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/8/6946341/slack-has-a-seriou...

https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/382mao/psa...

What's confusing is the second link is about Skype leaking your IP, not Slack.

Re: Source: Microsoft mulled an $8B bid for Slack, will focus on Skype instead

#156

Post by kavok »

Negative1 wrote: post #138
cdnsteve wrote: post #93

We initially used Skype on our team to communicate with others. However, the software was horribly buggy on OSX. Slack has become part of our main toolchain. It works, has the basic features you need and doesn't get in our way. The integrations are great and we'll continue to use them. Unless Microsoft rebuilds Skype for the ground up, I don't see us leaving Slack for it. They had their chance, and they dropped the b…

"Unless Microsoft rebuilds Skype for the ground up" This. This exactly. Is it really unbelievable to assume Microsoft wouldn't attempt to build their own IRC+ clone and save a few billion while they are at it? I do agree with you, Slack is much better than Skype, but I would add that Lync is just as good. I went from Lync to Slack (after changing jobs) and I would say that Lync not only works just as well but has mor…

Lync on Mac was a nightmare the last time I had to use it.

Re: Source: Microsoft mulled an $8B bid for Slack, will focus on Skype instead

#157

Post by douche »

kough wrote: post #152
Negative1 wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Unless Microsoft rebuilds Skype for the ground up" This. This exactly. Is it really unbelievable to assume Microsoft wouldn't attempt to build their own IRC+ clone and save a few billion while they are at it? I do agree with you, Slack is much better than Skype, but I would add that Lync is just as good. I went from Lync to Slack (after changing jobs) and I would say that Lync not only works just as well but has mor…

When I was forced to use Lync (due to an acquisition) in 2014 it was absolutely fucking terrible. The OS X client failed to report online status correctly, couldn't participate in most group chats or video or audio calls, and crashed regularly. Also weirdly non-native UI. And, no linux client to speak of - for a startup like the one I worked for where many devs used linux, that was a nonstarter. Has the story improve…

If you're using Lync, but can get by with just IM and presence, install Pidgin and use SIPE[1]. Even if you're on Windows, it's worth doing - Lync has some silly restrictions about running multiple instances, and no way to connect to more than one account at a time

[1] http://sipe.sourceforge.net/

Re: Source: Microsoft mulled an $8B bid for Slack, will focus on Skype instead

#158

Post by rokhayakebe »

chubot wrote: post #79
lmm wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Frankly Slack's success is the utter failure of every alternative on the UX side. MSN messenger was perhaps wrong-footed by the shift to multi-device, but none of the other tools have such an excuse. It's not a generational thing, it's an incredible level of, there's no other word, incompetence on the part of the makers of major messaging software (Skype in particular).

Yeah I agree, I think people routinely underestimate the level of quality and amount of time you have to put into a consumer product. A good example is Yahoo Mail... this product is used by so many people, and was supposedly overhauled a few years ago, yet it is mediocre in so many ways.

What email product isn't mediocre? This entire vertical needs an upgrade. Perhaps Email is Hard.

Re: Source: Microsoft mulled an $8B bid for Slack, will focus on Skype instead

#159

Post by toyg »

cheez wrote: post #97
cdnsteve wrote: post #93

We initially used Skype on our team to communicate with others. However, the software was horribly buggy on OSX. Slack has become part of our main toolchain. It works, has the basic features you need and doesn't get in our way. The integrations are great and we'll continue to use them. Unless Microsoft rebuilds Skype for the ground up, I don't see us leaving Slack for it. They had their chance, and they dropped the b…

Microsoft had their chance and dropped the ball on a lot of things, but they always figure it out. Skype on OSX looks much better now and I suspect if they're focusing on Skype instead of spending $8B, then you're looking at serious competition.

They only have to do one thing, and one thing only: OPEN. IT. UP. Andi don't mean federation or blablabla: just make it as simple to integrate with as Slack is. Simple API endpoint, basic security and off you go. Boom, victory.

Re: Source: Microsoft mulled an $8B bid for Slack, will focus on Skype instead

#160

Post by whatever_dude »

mmaunder wrote: post #139

Really glad MS didn't buy Slack. I think they're going to be an amazing big business that will generate a lot of cash and opportunity. Most acquisitions by big businesses, either early or late stage, destroy value. Big biz thinks they can innovate by buying. Smaller biz wants an exit. The innovation exits on acquisition and after earn-out. Both suffer and we all lose what could have been the next Google.

Same. Being sold to a big company would (probably) be death to Slack as a product. I like it the way it is now - lean, small, simple. Integration is possible but only if you install specific extensions. Let it be its own niche, nothing wrong with it. Not every app needs to conquer the world.

And as much as I like the "new" Microsoft, I certainly would hate to see Outlook, Office, and other corporatey scrap spilling into Slack.

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