Skype Mobile

VOIP leader Skype and popular mobile app Fring are on the war path. The two companies have been attacking each other on their blogs today over missing Skype functionality in Fring. They both agree that Fring’s iPhone 4 two-way video calling feature, which used Skype, no longer works. Fring says Skype blocked its access to the Skype API and then threatened to sue. In a press release,  it came down heavily on Skype and has blamed it r for blocking Fring from offering video calls to Skype users using Fring. Calling folks over at Skype “cowards”, Fring accuses Skype of trying to muzzle competition even if Skype users are affected in the process. For its part, Skype says that Fring removed the Skype functionality itself.

Skype, in its  response  accuses Fring of making the decision to remove Skype functionality on its own and that Skype had nothing to do with it. The blog post also accuses Fring of violating Skype’s API and EULA terms. They also claim to have been in talks with Fring to sort the issue amicably. Skype also accuses Fring to be misusing Skype’s capabilities in a way that was damaging the brand Skype.

Skype’s users don’t seem to be on its side. Many Fring users, however, accuse Skype of being “too slow” in developing apps for various platforms. Even the iOS4 version of the Skype app doesn’t support multitasking. Skype also amazingly doesn’t have an app for the Android platform – whereas Fring does.