Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) has finally secured a Skype app for its mobile platform BB10. According to reviews and reports, however, actually using the software is a painful experience. The application was delayed for a long time, after being mentioned as a coming attraction back in January.
The app from Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), which owns Skype, is a port on the application the company has on the Android operating system. Android ports seem to be a necessary evil for Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) right now as the company tries to convince developers to make software for its operating system, which attracts few users as of yet.
The application is currently in a beta form. That means it’s been released for testing, and for customer feedback. Users hope that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) will take a great deal of information back from the beta and act upon it. The Android app that has been ported to BB10 has its share of detractors too.
According to Darrell Etherington over at Tech Crunch, the new application does exactly what users expect – it makes voice calls and allows the sending of instant messages, but unfortunately it doesn’t do either of those things well. According to Etherington the real problem is the interface. The app misses taps constantly, and makes the Skype notification noise even when the app isn’t active.
Audio setting on the device failed to have any control on the volume levels coming out of the Skype application, including those from the notifications function, which Etherington says seems only loosely tied to actual activity inside the application. It’s clear that this version of Skype will not create any additional demand for Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) smart phones.
Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) needs to increase the amount of applications available on its devices if it wants to attract new customers. The company has being doing alright recently, getting some large orders, and seeing shares rise more than 25 percent since the start of 2013.
Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) needs to concentrate on the business market, and Skype is an essential part of the needs of the modern business operative. If they can’t offer reasonable communication on their devices, their business will whither.
Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) needs to remedy this situation before poor user experiences affect their reputation.
