http://share.skype.com/sites/devzone/2009/09/the_future_of_skype_extras.html

Skype has decided to kill thier extras program.  I say good ridance!  From the start Skype's extras program was only open to applications that "enhance Skype"  Call On CRM was submitted several times and rejected from the Skype extras program.

The narrow minded individuals who ran Skype Extras can't seem to see how integrating Skype with a Professional Contact Management system like ACT! "enhances Skype"  Regardless of the fact that with Call On CRM you can record your chats as permanant searchable histories and have a log of your calls in a place that acutally makes sense to have a log of calls. Not only to communicate with users where they most want to, right inside thier contact management application.  I'd say it enhances Skype.  It doesn't make thier client app better, but thats not why people use it is for the cool client app, but the utility it provides.

I say good ridance for this reason. Skype needs to spend thier time working on Skype as a Service and allow developers of all kinds of applications to utilize the Skype platform without requiring integration with thier client application.  The client application isn't Skype, the Peer 2 Peer network of computers that make up the service IS Skype.  The same could be compared to BitTorrent or VoIP.  The protocols that provide the service are what make the service not the implementations of it by different vendors.  BitTorrent has 10+ different client applications utilizing the BitTorrent protocol with makes BitTorrent more valuable.  Has it's creator decided to make it a single app that could only be enhanced directly it wouldn't be what it is today.

So, maybe in the long run this is a good thing.  It appears Call On CRM - Skype won't be affected, the APIs will remain in place, but I welcome the change.