Joe George sighed and wrote::
I've been reading several articles including the link to one below regarding
Skype software. We have several users in our HQ office as well as field
offices who were recommended to use Skype to keep in communication. Several
of us in our IT department are very apprehensive about it for many reasons
including the fact it's not been through a pilot phase. Aside from the VoIP
functionality, I do not understand why they need it, because we have an
enterprise IM client available, which you can integrate several other IM
clients with. A VoIP solution is not far away from being deployed throughout
organization as well.
Skype's claim of being secure does little to ease my mind. Skype is not on
the list of our supported applications, and as a low on the totem pole I am
within the organization; I would be remiss by not mentioning my apprehension
to the end-user of it being on their computer. I just wanted to get your
thoughts on it. I've installed Skype on my own computer and haven't seen any
adverse effects, but I do not use it often due to lack of time. Have any of
you deployed it successfully within your network? What is your opinion on the
application?
The reason for my company using Skype was that we use a
3rd party software which requires constant modifications
from the 3rd party. Due to the long distance involved(they
had moved their operations to China), phone calls or
ICQ'ing wasn't as efficient(in their eyes) as having
Skype running. Communication is a little easier.
You are experiencing the exact same apprehension as I
do. When they (user and 3rd party) installed Skype behind
my back, I was furious, especially when I was monitoring
the firewall and seeing so many incoming and outgoing
traffic at 1am in the morning.
(Can you believe it? A user ALLOWING a 3rd party installing
software on a company machine... MAN... was I hot under
the coller.)
The next day, I had Skype uninstalled and fired off an
email imparting my utter caution in using these products.
Then recently, they had another meeting (they being the
director, business manager, user and the 3rd party) with
me on a conference phone with them.
The 3rd party completely thought my paranoia was
uncalled for and that if I were so paranoid, why
not block the http port, or the ftp port or the
smtp port? That got me riled up.
Anyway, me being not present at the meeting was
a good thing, as they'd be watching me seething
with anger.
But at the end of the conference, I buckled under
combined pressure of the user, the business manager
and the director. That I was blocking their
progress in getting things done.
The compromise was that when they needed to use
Skype, they'd turn it on. If not, they
turned it off.
But to me, it's pretty much just a facade. Anything
can happen during usage and since the source is closed,
it makes me even more jittery.
So my advice, unless your organization vitally
needs it, stay away from it. If your organization
needs it, READ THE LICENSING AGREEMENT.
Edmund
