A follow on post on setting up the Eclipse Communications Framework (ECF).
If like me you have to work and communicate whilst connected to private systems, but from time-to-time need to collaborate with developers who are not privy to those systems then this article http://ecf1.osuosl.org/updateReleasedSiteInstructions.html may help. It describes how to install a plug-in into the Eclipse IDE that enables it to use the Skype API as an instant messaging provider.
Using Galileo SR1 on Windows XP I found that selecting Skype directly from the Connection to Provider button did not establish after installation and choosing Skype from the dialog offered more success. However, once Eclipse had been restarted all was again right with the world.
