Skype consumes more bandwidth and network resources on a Mac
Research has revealed that Skype for voice calls on a Mac uses at least 28% more bandwidth and network resources than it does on than an iPhone, iPad, Android phone or a PC.
The research by Mu Dynamics also revealed that Skype for instant messaging on a Mac (OS X) will consume at least 30% more network resources, while Skype for instant messaging on an iPad will consume at least 39% more bandwidth than an iPhone, Android phone, MacBook or a PC.
Primary research conducted by the America-based company focused on the Skype service to analyze whether the choice of platform for voice calls and instant messaging impacts the network significantly for either consumers or network operators. The company tested a variety of platforms and devices for the report including the iPad, iPhone 4 (running iOS 4), Android (Sprint Nexus S 4G), MacBook (Mac OS X 10.6) and PC (Windows 7).
It was found that for voice calls, Windows 7 is the most consumer friendly, while the iPad and iPhone are the most operator friendly. For instant messaging, Windows 7 is the most operator friendly, while the MacBook is the most consumer friendly – although it is also the least operator friendly.
Dave Kresse, Mu Dynamics chief executive officer, said: "As the number of bandwidth-intensive mobile applications continues to expand at record pace, operators are faced with the challenge of balancing that bandwidth and the associated network resources that devices use to support them.
"Over 30 million Skype users today are online at peak times and with so many people using the service simultaneously, bandwidth and resources can be strained to cripple other applications and services. By using Mu Studio Performance to rapidly test real application performance, operators can better understand how services such as Skype impact the network based on the various devices."
Mu Dynamics believes this report will help inform and encourage collaboration between application developers, device manufacturers and service providers to help make applications more network-friendly; minimize the network impact; and ensure the best end-user experience.