Estonia, Technology, Telecomunications

The project, currently named InkSpin1, hatching in the Ambient Sound Investments (ASI) investment group’s incubator, incorporates the development for LCD televisions of the user interface, utilized in the Skype Internet phone. This development would enable video calls to be conducted not on small cell phone screens or even computer screens but on giant television screens.

InkSpin1 leader Martin Villig says the objective of the described solution is to make video calls as simple and convenient as possible and thus introduce an even larger user base.

Today, free Skype video calls are available to computer users, all you need in addition is a web cam.

"Today, we have a solution for computer users. Yet, for an average home user, video calling is too difficult and thus they are not taking advantage of the opportunity. Our goal here is to make such calls equally easy for kids as well as parents. So that if people know how to turn on the TV and change channels, they would know how to make video calls," Villig explains.

According to him, the company already has the first TV-video phone (or VTV solution) prototypes up and running and they are doing so efficiently. At the moment, additional services are developed and contacts are endeavored to be made with television manufacturers. The main objective is cooperation, leading to the software device’s integration in television sets. Those unwilling to change their TV sets can, in the future, purchase a digibox resembling supplementary device that will also enable the solution’s operation.

Product development for the Skype founders’ new technological gadget of worldwide potential is carried out in Estonia; its software development, however, takes place in Beijing, China. Villig lists two reasons behind this. First, through China, it is easier to cooperate with Asian television producers, contacts with some of whom have already been established. Second, it is more difficult in Estonia than in China to find suitable software developers in required numbers.

The Chinese unit of InkSpin1 is managed by Jussi Nyfelt, a Finn who has been promoting Nokia in China for years.

So as to find out what the relevant user expectations are and whether or not users would be willing to pay a bit more for video calling enabling TV sets, InkSpin1 will conduct preliminary studies in a number of countries; monetary support for this will be applied for with Enterprise Estonia. The TV-video phone could be on the market in a year or two, Villig notes.

In addition to everything else, the solution is still awaiting a catchy name.

ASI that has invested in tens of technology companies is owned by Skype founders Toivo Annus, Jaan Tallinn, Ahti Heinla and Priit Kasesalu.

When eBay purchased Skype in 2005 for 2,6 billion US dollars, the Estonians received significant amount on their bank accounts.