Skype Qik, a new mobile chat app that features short, auto-delete features for video messages, was released by Microsoft recently. This is a stand-alone application and doesn’t require an existing version of Skype installed in order to work. The application is free to download from Google Play Store, iTunes App Store as well as the Windows Phone Store.
Personality
With the app. market already filled with light weight and casual chat friendly options such as SnapChat, WhatsApp and WeChat; it is the niche that Microsoft targets to establish their foothold in with Skype Qik. Skype Qik is optimized for mobility, lightweight and it aims to create a seam less experience of video messaging as much as instant messaging and instant calling.
Qik requires two mutual parties to have it installed on their mobiles. A video can then be recorded upto 42 seconds long, and then sent to the other party, who would receive a notification for the same. Its as simple as that.
The app also features a cool option called the ‘Qik Flik.’ This basically allows the user to create 5 second GIF style videos that can be used as emoticons or even templates to quickly text multiple times when in hurry. This feature is available on Android and iOS platforms and is supposed to soon be upgraded on the Windows platform as well.
Skype Qik also comes with extended control over the video even after it has been dispatched by the user. It allows the sent as well as even the delivered video messages to be deleted by the original sender itself, and the message deletes from the sender’s as well as the receiver’s phone. This is arguably a very nifty feature considering that it is not available in any other chat applications as of now, that are out there in the market.
Possible Hurdles
Although its innovative video equipped communication feature enables Qik to stand out from the rest of the apps that are available in the market; but Jan Dawson, a chief analyst at Jackdaw Research, felt that “Video simply isn’t always a good way to communicate, There are so many settings where video doesn’t work well for either the sender or recipient, whether for privacy reasons, ambient noise or otherwise,” in his interview with TechNewsWorld.
Qik started off as an independent app maker and it was later on that Skype purchased it for US$150 million in early 2011 right after Microsoft bought Skype for $8.5 billion. However, Microsoft claims that none of the original coding and designing formats have been retained in Skype Qik
Conclusion
Many suspect Microsoft of trying to bring up their game with introducing Qik as recently the hype of Skype has been falling. While the features are indeed innovative and fresh but can it hold out to make a great solid foundation and give other competing applications a run for their money is what needs to be seen.