Skype Still Dark for Millions of Users Worldwide

Skype Dec. 23 said its service remains out for some 40 percent of its users a full day after a massive failure of its peer-to-peer computer system caused the VOIP service to deny or drop calls.

Nearly 24 hours after several computer servers in its P2P network crashed, Skype appears to be restoring service rapidly after suffering an unspecified “software issue.”

Skype Chief Blogger Peter Parkes said around 7 a.m. EST that while there are roughly 5 million people online, it was only around 30 percent of what the company would expect at that particular time.

By 9 a.m. EST, Parkes said in an update, that number had doubled to more than 10 million, or 60 percent of total users Skype typically sees online then. That means Skype remains unavailable for about 40 percent of users.

“Unfortunately, it’s not possible for us to predict on an individual level when you’ll be able to sign in again, and we thank you for your patience in the meantime,” Parkes added.

Parkes said that while Skype Manager, group video calling and other Web-based tools remain offline and instant messaging and online status are slow, the company’s Skype Connect enterprise product is working normally.

Source: eWeek