Skype’s co-founder Janus Friis is backing a new communications start-up called Wire, which will take on other messaging apps including Skype.
The new app, called Wire, has already available in iOS, Android and Mac OS X.
Wire combines audio calls with a variety of other tools for sharing media and messages with a group of friends. The app becomes available for download Wednesday in the stores run by Apple and Google.
Combining elements of Skype, WhatsApp and the latest workplace communications service Slack, the new Wire app is claimed to resolve ‘nagging problems’ in messaging, voice and file sharing.
Friis was cited by the Guardian as saying: "What attracted me to Wire is that it is something truly new. This is not some marginal improvement. This is not just an app.
"This is not just attacking one feature trying to do something marginally better.
"What the team has done is a complete from-the-ground-up reimagination of what communication should be. I wouldn’t have been interested if this was just another feature."
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With an HTML5 version too currently under development, the new app is claimed to be ready in less than a quarter, which will cover other devices, even Windows PCs.
