Skype and Nokia today jointly announced the release of Skype for Symbian, a Skype client for Nokia smartphones based on the Symbian platform.

Skype for Symbian will allow Nokia smartphone users worldwide to use Skype on the move, over either a WiFi or mobile data connection (GPRS, EDGE, 3G).

A few weeks ago Fring announced the release of the world’s first mobile internet video calls on Symbian S60 and iPhone/iPod touch.

Yestarday the company said on its blog that also Nokia E72 & E75 (and all other Symbian 9.3) users can now video call with their friends on fring and Skype for free.

Skype and Verizon Wireless announce a strategic relationship that will bring Skype to Verizon Wireless smartphones in March. The new Skype mobile product enhances Verizon Wireless' smartphones for users who have data plans by offering a new way to call around the globe, while also giving hundreds of millions of Skype users around the world the opportunity to communicate with friends, family and business colleagues in the United States using Verizon Wireless.

The two companies have created an exclusive, easy-to-use Skype mobile offering for 3G smartphones. Verizon Wireless 3G smartphone users with data plans can use Skype mobile to:

• make and receive unlimited Skype-to-Skype voice calls to any Skype user around the globe on America's most reliable wireless network;
• call international phone numbers at competitive Skype Out calling rates;
• send and receive instant messages to other Skype users; and
• remain always connected with the ability to see friends' online presence.

Initially, Skype mobile will be available on millions of best-selling Verizon Wireless 3G smartphones with data plans, including the BlackBerry Storm 9530, Storm2 9550, Curve 8330, Curve 8530, 8830 World Edition and Tour 9630 smartphones, as well as DROID by Motorola, DROID ERIS by HTC and Motorola DEVOUR.

John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless, said, "Skype mobile on Verizon Wireless changes the game. For Verizon Wireless' more than 90 million customers, Skype mobile adds great value because we're effectively giving customers with smartphones and data plans the option to extend their unlimited calling community to hundreds of millions of Skype users around the globe. And you're not limited to using a single type of phone; we'll have nine smartphones ready right at launch in March."

Josh Silverman, chief executive officer of Skype, noted, "People want to take their Skype conversations with them wherever they go, whether it's on a PC, TV or increasingly mobile phones. Verizon Wireless will give U.S. consumers the best Skype experience on mobile phones and will truly change the way people call their friends and family internationally."

New data from TeleGeography show that the growth of international telephone traffic has slowed, while Skype’s growth has accelerated.

Skype’s on-net international traffic (between two Skype users) grew 51 percent in 2008, and is projected to grow 63 percent in 2009, to 54 billion minutes. That means that about 13 percent of international calls are made on Skype.

Skype today announced that it has hired David Gurle as the new General Manager and Vice President of its Skype for Business unit. He replaces Stefan Oberg, who will be leaving Skype in March 2010.

"Moving forward, our goal is to educate and attract larger organizations that can not only save money by using Skype to communicate, but also increase their organizational productivity and enhance the way they interact with customers around the globe," said David Gurle.

Skype announced that it is opening up the Skype for SIP beta program. It allows businesses to utilize Skype for SIP with their existing SIP-based PBX or Unified Communications systems.

Skype for SIP beta enables businesses to receive and manage inbound calls from Skype users worldwide on SIP-enabled PBXs by either connecting the company Web site to the PBX via Skype click-to-call buttons or purchasing online Skype numbers.

Skype is opening up the Skype for SIP beta program to allow businesses of all sizes to utilize Skype for SIP with their existing SIP-based PBX or Unified Communications systems. By using Skype for SIP, companies can save money on calls around the world, while also changing how customers globally reach them.

A company’s IT administrator just creates and registers a Skype Business Control Panel for the organization and then follows the instructions to configure Skype for SIP to work with its existing SIP-enabled communications system. This Web-based tool allows a company to control its Skype usage from a single point and enables centralized billing, easy allocation of Skype Credit, subscriptions and online numbers to users, as well as reporting about both usage and spending. Furthermore, it gives companies the ability to manage internal employee accounts, including who uses Skype and who doesn’t and what features they can use.

Key Features

Skype for SIP beta enables businesses with interoperable PBXs to:

• Place calls to landlines and mobile phones worldwide from any device connected to a SIP-enabled PBX or UC systems via Skype;
• Receive and manage inbound calls from Skype users worldwide on SIP-enabled PBXs by either connecting the company Web site to the PBX via Skype click-to-call buttons or purchasing online Skype numbers; and
• Manage Skype calls using existing PBX or UC system features, such as call routing, conferencing, phone menus and voicemail; no additional downloads or training required.

Pricing and Availability

Companies using Skype for SIP must purchase a monthly channel subscription from Skype based on the number of concurrent calls being made or received. Each channel allows for one inbound or one outbound call at any given time. Incoming Skype calls to the SIP-enabled PBX or UC system are free of charge to the Skype user. Calls to landlines and mobiles made using Skype for SIP are billed at Skype’s standard per-minute calling rates (a connection fee may apply).

As part of the Skype for SIP open beta program, Skype has created a low introductory price for the monthly channel subscription of just €4.95 / $6.95 per channel.

Just a week after fring brought world’s first video calls over IP to mobile, the company announced “the first ever” mobile video calls over internet for the iPhone.

fring video enables users to conduct video calls with other users as well as with Skype contacts over their device’s Wi-Fi or 3G internet connection, with support for mobile-to-mobile and mobile-to-desktop calls.

After years of stealing telecom service share from traditional providers, Skype is looking to cozy up with carriers. The company recently broke free of legal entanglements between its former parent, eBay, and its founders. Its chief operating officer resigned, heading to the U.S. to "pursue career interests within the global Fortune 500 technology, telecommunications and media industry."

And under its new owners (an investor group that includes Silver Lake Partners and Andreessen Horowitz), it is focusing in the near term on carrier partners. Its CEO, Josh Silverman, has hinted at possible deals in the works with Chinese mobile operators in particular but is more explicit about the timing.

"You should expect to see [more carrier deals] in 2010," Silverman told Dow Jones Newswires. "The attitude of carriers has shifted a lot in 18 months, and we think that is a trend that is going to continue."

Not only have carrier attitudes shifted a lot — toward third-party voice services on their networks — the entire landscape has as well. Skype competitors come in all shapes and sizes now, from little-known mashups and features on existing services to the big kahuna, Google, whose acquisition of VoIP start-up Gizmo5 this month seems aimed at taking advantage of Skype's long-lived corporate distractions.

Source: Telephony Online

Skype and eBay announced they has reached a settlement agreement with Joltid and Joost N.V. that gives Skype ownership over all software previously licensed from Joltid.

It also ends all litigation currently pending against the investor group and eBay at the closing of the acquisition (the investor group led by Silver Lake had previously entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in Skype from the company).

As part of the settlement agreement, Joltid and Skype founders Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis will join the investor group, contributing Joltid software and making a significant capital investment in exchange for a 14 percent stake in Skype.

Skype competitor, VoxOx, which is still in Beta has just announced their unlimited calling plans which they claim are the lowest published rates for Internet calling companies. According to the release, VoxOx's $2.45/month unlimited calling to domestic land- and mobile-lines plan is 15 percent cheaper than Skype's lowest published rate.

Just like Skype, VoxOx provides free calling and video conferencing between users using their computers to access the service. The service also offers text messaging, IM, email and fax services. Additional plans offer unlimited texting to mobile phones with world wide unlimited texting going for just under $10 a month.

“VoxOx is completely free for consumers who want to talk or video conference with other VoxOx users, as well as leverage its advanced integration with all major communication channels,” said Bryan Hertz, CEO and co-founder of TelCentris--VoxOx's parent company--in a release. “For those consumers, who want to call off-network for pennies per minute, we are now offering, on an introductory basis, some of the lowest rates in the industry for worldwide calling and texting.”

For more:
- read the release

Related articles
VoxOx launches free Universal Communicator
Voxbone's iNum service now offers HD voice for Skype
Skype leverages AcmePacket's Net-Net SBCs for SIP beta
Skype may buy peer-to-peer VoIP startup Gizmo5

Esna Technologies has added Skype VoIP/Video support to its market leading unified communication desktop software, UC Link. As part of its ongoing goal for interoperability and Rich communication and collaboration tools, Esnatech has integrated its UC Link desktop software with Skype VoIP and Video services for enhanced real-time communication services. Users of the Esnatech Telephony Office-LinX UC platform will have their live Skype VoIP & Video status tied into existing office infrastructure and applications so other users can see if they are available or not, on their office telephone, or off the network. It will bridge the Skype VoIP/Video world with Enterprise telephony and Groupware status.

The benefits to enterprise users are they can integrate their daily business communications with Skype VoIP & Video and start using the popular application for daily business use. Co-workers and customers will know their true availability and status and using the Esnatech UC link desktop software communicate in the most efficient and collaborative manner. Users can in one click initiate Live Secure IM, Live desktop to phone voice calls, Ad Hoc group conference session and Live Skype VoIP and Video Session.

Skype support will be part of the upcoming UC Link desktop software for the esnatech UC server Telephony Office-LinX expected in Q1 2010. Esnatech will commence beta trials in December/January with its partners.

UC Link desktop software is a rich multi-OS desktop unified communications software that delivers Rich Presence, Mobility, messaging for the Telephony Office-LinX unified communications platform. This Esnatech UC server is already tightly integrated with all major PBX's and VoIP services as well it provides Mobile UC services to RIM Blackberry, Apple iPhone, Google Android, Windows Mobile & Symbian devices. It can be deployed as a standalone UC solution or an integrated application to existing PBX's and messaging solutions such as Octel voice mail platforms.

Skype announced the selection of Net-Net OS-Enterprise session border controllers from Acme Packet for its Skype for SIP beta offering. Acme Packet is the leader in session border contro solutions and the sole SBC partner for the Skype for SIP beta program.

Skype’s deployment of Acme Packet’s SBC simplifies the interoperability and feature compatibility of the Skype for SIP beta offering with enterprise IP-PBX equipment and next-generation unified communications platforms which utilize the SIP standard. As a result, Skype for SIP will allow those enterprises with an on-premise IP PBX to take advantage of an innovative IP-enabled communications tool and to benefit from end-to-end interoperability. The implementation of an SBC by Skype as part of the Skype for SIP beta program also enables the delivery of high-quality, real-time interactive communications, while minimizing the exposure to risks for those companies who sign up for the trial.

Skype for SIP will allow many companies to reduce their costs by making outbound calls to landlines and mobiles worldwide at low Skype rates from devices connected to their existing SIP-enabled PBX systems. It will also allow organizations to receive inbound voice calls to their PBX from the more than 400 million registered Skype users around the world via a global click-to-call button on their Web site. In addition, if they buy and associate local online numbers with their PBX, they can receive inbound calls to the PBX from landline and mobile phones via Skype.

As of March 2009, "Gizmo5 serves more than six million consumer and business users" after six years. Skype adds that every 17 days. I don’t know if Gizmo5 has been successful enough to create attractive cash flow. If Skype owned the business, could Skype quickly build profits?

Gizmo5’s IP prime asset could be its SIP gateway. They’ve built on top of it a SIP-to-Skype (OpenSky) gateway, support for Google Talk, and Gizmo Voice, a Gizmo5/Google Voice mashup. If the code is good enough, it might be the base of an enterprise server product or a hosted service. If you trust Julian Cain’s critical fact-checking comments in Mike’s story, I doubt the code would survive due diligence.

If the systems is rock solid, scalable, and easy to adapt, Skype might save two to six months development time by buying. The brand is fine for VoIP geeks, is known to buyers of cheap/free calling. However Gizmo is far from a broad consumer brand. Test for yourself. Gizmo5’s business relationships are available to Skype with a phone call. No exclusive channels of distribution. No high value marketing partners. No namespaces bringing millions of new Gizmo users.

Click Here to Continue Reading

After “evaluating customers’ expectations and use of the iPhone compared to dozens of others AT&T offers,” the operator has finally taken the steps necessary so that Apple can enable VoIP applications on iPhone to run on AT&T’s wireless network.

Previously, VoIP applications on iPhone were enabled only for Wi-Fi connectivity. At the same time, AT&T has offered a variety of other wireless devices that enable VoIP applications on 3G, 2G and Wi-Fi networks.

Editor's Note:  Now this is the 4th article I have read from another intelligence agency citing the strong encryption of Skype.  At first I thought this might be a ruse to get people that are committing crimes to feel an increased sense of safety in using Skype for their communications (In no way do I support illegal activity), but now I am wondering if it is as good as it has been claimed to be?   With the attacks in Mumbai, I can see why this is a concern being that is was reported that the terrorists used a form of VoIP (non-skype) to coordinate these most unfortunate attacks.   I am going to do some deeper research to see what I can find.  

NEW DELHI: Intelligence agencies have asked the government to consider blocking Skype as operators of the popular global VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) engine are refusing to share the encryption code that prevents Indian investigators from intercepting conversations of suspected terrorists.

Skype announces the beta version of Skype for SIP has been certified as interoperable with the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business. This will enable small and medium-sized businesses who manage their networking and communications needs with this affordable UC solution to communicate more efficiently by directing their outbound calls to mobiles and landlines via Skype, while also allowing them to receive inbound calls from Skype users.

Interoperability with Skype for SIP means that small businesses can take advantage of the cost savings provided by Skype’s low-cost global calling rates when their employees call landlines and mobiles around the world. A company can also receive inbound voice calls from any of the more than 480 million registered Skype users around the world via a global click-to-call button on its Web site. These Skype calls are received in the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series solution and can be handled or directed in the same way as any other inbound caller. In addition, if a company buys and associates online Skype numbers with their Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series solution, it can then receive inbound calls via Skype from business contacts and customers calling from landline and mobile phones.

The Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series platform is part of Cisco’s Smart Business Communications System which continues to expand having just added a new set of IP phones with high definition audio, a unified threat management device as well as support for third party application integration, including products from healthcare, automotive and insurance industries.

Certification testing of Skype for SIP with the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business was conducted by tekVizion Labs, an independent test facility in Richardson, Texas, which specializes in IP communications interoperability testing.

Cisco VARs will need to register for the Skype Service Partner Program and pass an online certification exam to qualify to configure the Cisco solution to support Skype for SIP, as well as to support those business customers who may already be using the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business and want to integrate Skype for SIP into their present communications solution.

Digium, the Asterisk Company, and Skype announced the general availability of Skype for Asterisk.

Skype for Asterisk is an add-on channel driver for Asterisk-based PBX systems. The software is compatible with the free and open source Asterisk versions 1.4, 1.6 and AsteriskNOW, as well as the commercially licensed Asterisk Business Edition. It enables multiple concurrent Skype calls from a single Skype account, and supports both G.711 and G.729a calling.

Telefónica O2 Germany opens mobile telecommunications network for Voice-over-IP services. From today, all O2 customers in Germany can use mobile internet telephony services like Skype or Fring with the current internet packs from O2. Using VoIP services will not be extra charged.

xG Technology claims they had developed an alternative path that allows consumers to benefit from much lower cost mobile calls via the internet, avoiding the incumbent carriers’ networks all together.

Skype's subscriber base just keeps on climbing, with another 37 million people added in the second quarter - taking the total year-to-date increase to 75 million.
Growing subscribers also means growing revenues and the VoIP company saw Q2 revenue jump 25 per cent year-over-year to USD $170 million.

Law enforcement agencies and intelligence services have used wiretaps since the telephone was invented, but implementing them is much more complex in the modern telecommunications market where the providers are often foreign companies.

"The encryption with Skype telephone software ... creates grave difficulties for us," Joerg Ziercke, president of Germany's Federal Police Office (BKA) told reporters at an annual gathering of security and law enforcement officials.

"We can't decipher it. That's why we're talking about source telecommunication surveillance -- that is, getting to the source before encryption or after it's been decrypted."

Experts say Skype and other Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calling software are difficult to intercept because they work by breaking up voice data into small packets and switching them along thousands of router paths instead of a constant circuit between two parties, as with a traditional call.

Click Here to Continue Reading

eBAY Inc.’s dispute with the founders of its Skype Internet-phone division threatens to delay a Skype initial public offering (IPO) and lower the amount raised.

Skype, which lets users place calls online, told a London court in April that it may have to suspend the service if it can’t resolve the fight. Skype’s founders, who still own a piece of software used by Skype, have accused eBay of breaching a licensing deal. They’re threatening to yank the technology from Skype, disabling the world’s largest provider of international calls.

eBay sued the founders in London to prevent that from happening. Still, the timing of the case may interfere with plans to spin off Skype as an IPO in 2010. If unresolved, the lawsuit also may cut the price eBay gets in the offering, said Randolf Katz, a lawyer at Baker Hostetler in Costa Mesa, California. He isn’t involved in the case.

“The market hates uncertainty because you can’t price around it,” said Katz, who has advised technology companies on corporate finance and IPOs. “The lawsuit is out there, and it will be factored into the price.”

Chief executive officer John Donahoe devised the IPO plan to unlock more value from Skype. He has pegged the business’ value at least $2 billion, saying he’s already rejected at least one offer for Skype.

John Pluhowski, a spokesman for San Jose, California-based eBay, declined to comment. Joltid Ltd., the company operated by Skype’s founders, also declined to comment.

Skype had asked a judge to accelerate the trial. It lost that bid, meaning the case is likely to go to court in the first three months of 2010, Justice Kim Lewison said, according to court transcripts of the April 3 hearing. eBay wants the IPO to happen in the first half of next year.

If Joltid wins, the effect would be “devastating,” Charles Hollander, Skype’s attorney, told the court. Skype would “exit the market whilst we embark on a lengthy and costly process of developing an alternative form of software code.”

Click Here to Continue Reading

It would appear that efforts to address problems of compatability and interoperability between the various VoIP protocols, packages and services are making some headway.
For users - and especially small businesses - the issue has been of growing concern as the popularity of VoIP has led to a huge increase in the number of VoIP services.

Skype has released a beta version of its software for Windows which includes a screen sharing feature.
The Skype 4.1 release also reinstates some extras that were removed in the previous update - much to the disappointment of many subscribers.

Yuuguu has expanded its screen sharing cross network application to include Skype.
The Yuuguu for Skype Beta enables Skype users to screen share and collaborate with one or more contacts.

Skype president Josh Silverman's invitation to appear as a guest on 'Oprah' may not come as much of a surprise to fans of the show.
The VoIP giant has already been featured on the program and Oprah Winfrey often uses it for interviews.

Truphone has launched a major upgrade to its free mobile VoIP application for the iPhone.
The latest version of the Apple handset's first-ever VoIP app boasts increased ease of use, speed of function response, intuitiveness and simplicity - along with improved voice quality.

"If you look at the consumer rights [spelled out] in the FCC's Internet Policy Statement, there is a chance that they might be violation by this practice," said Chris Riley, the policy counsel at Free Press, a Washington-based media reform group.

The group's letter cited the release Tuesday of Skype for Apple's iPhone as an example for the need to clarify the rules. Skype, which its maker said yesterday had been downloaded more than 1 million times since Tuesday, allows VoIP calls only via a wireless connection on the iPhone. However, iPhone users can't make VoIP calls on the carrier's own data network.

In the U.S., AT&T is the exclusive carrier for the iPhone.

AT&T claimed that it doesn't block VoIP traffic on its 3G network. "We do not prohibit VoIP," said company spokesman Mark Siegel. "But we expect our vendors not to facilitate the services of our competitors. We shouldn't have the obligation to promote our competitors."

Click Here to Continue Reading

As soon as Skype released its iPhone application,  problems emerged with using it with carriers both in Europe and the US.
In a USA Today article last week, a senior AT&T official, Jim Cicconi, suggested that the carrier, in cooperation with Apple, expects device vendors to block consumers' access to Skype's VoIP application that competes with AT&T's own voice service. "Skype is a competitor, just like Verizon or Sprint or T-Mobile,” he said.

After releasing its application for the iPhone, Android-powered devices and other Java-enabled mobile phones, as well as for Windows Mobile, Skype announced at CTIA WIRELESS 2009 in Las Vegas that the lite version of Skype, a 'thin' Skype client for mobile phones, will soon be available as a free download for BlackBerry smartphones.

Skype for iPhone, will be available on the Apple App Store beginning today. The app also adds Skype calling and instant messaging to any second generation iPod touch with a compatible headset and microphone.

?Skype software for the iPhone has been the number one request among our users. We are delighted to deliver on this request and put Skype into the pockets of millions of people around the world who are carrying iPhone and iPod touch devices,? said Scott Durchslag, Skype?s Chief Operating Officer. ?Skype for iPhone will open up new ways for more than 400 million Skype users to stay connected and take their Skype conversations with them. Skype for iPhone is an experience that offers the same simplicity, ease-of-use and quality our users have come to expect from Skype, combined with an elegance of design and richness so loved by Apple?s many customers worldwide.?

The application delivers core Skype capabilities including:

• Free Skype-to-Skype calls from any Wi-Fi zone to other Skype users worldwide
• Call landline or mobile phones at Skype?s great low rates from any Wi-Fi zone
• Send/receive instant messages to/from individuals or groups via 3G, Wi-Fi, GPRS or EDGE (whichever is available)
• Receive calls to a personal online number on Skype
• See when Skype contacts are online/available to IM or talk

Skype for iPhone requires a Wi-Fi connection to make free Skype-to-Skype calls or low-cost Skype calls to mobiles and landlines. Users will not be charged by Skype for making and receiving Skype-to-Skype calls using an iPhone or iPod touch. Skype?s normal low rates apply if using Skype to call landlines or mobiles.

The app uses Wi-Fi, 3G, GPRS or EDGE (whichever is available) to sign into Skype, update a contact list, maintain and update presence and send/receive instant messages. Skype recommends an unlimited data usage plan for using Skype over a mobile data connection to avoid being charged by a wireless service provider for 3G, GPRS and EDGE mobile data usage.

Profile pictures of other users in a Skype Contacts list are also visible, making it easy to identify them. In addition, users can update their own Skype profile picture from within the Skype for iPhone app, either by choosing an existing image from a photo album on the device, or by using the camera on the iPhone to take a new photo.

The Skype application for the iPhone or iPod touch will be available for free from Apple?s App Store on both devices, or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

The CEO of Gizmo5 Michael Robertson has responded to last week's announcement of Skype for SIP by posting a comparison (see below) of the new service and his own company's OpenSky.
While welcoming Skype's initiative, he described it as a "vaporware announcement" with "murky pricing details".

Skype announces the beta version of Skype For SIP for Business users. SIP, short for Session Initiation Protocol, is an open standard and the leading voice over Internet protocol used in businesses telephony networks at millions of locations globally. According to IDC, 438,000 IP PBXes were shipped worldwide in 2008.

Skype For SIP allows SIP PBX owners to benefit from Skype?s low cost calls to fixed phones and mobiles around the world, and to receive calls from Skype users directly into their PBX system.

Businesses can now be reached by the community of over 405 million Skype registered users through click-to-call from their business Web sites. The calls will be received through their existing office system at no cost to the customer. At the same time, businesses can benefit from Skype?s low-cost global calling rates when placing calls to landlines and mobiles worldwide from devices connected to their PBX systems. In addition, they can choose to purchase online Skype numbers available in over 20 countries to receive calls from business contacts and customers who are using traditional fixed lines or mobile phones.

Key Features

The beta version of Skype For SIP will enable business users to:

• Receive and manage inbound calls from Skype users worldwide on SIP-enabled PBX systems; connecting the company Web site to the PBX system via click-to-call
• Place calls with Skype to landlines and mobile phones worldwide from any connected SIP-enabled PBX; reducing costs with Skype?s low-cost global rates
• Purchase Skype?s online numbers, to receive calls to the corporate PBX from landlines or mobile phones
• Manage Skype calls using their existing hardware and system applications such as call routing, conferencing, phone menus and voicemail; no additional downloads or training are required

How to participate

The Skype For SIP beta program for business users opens today. SIP users, phone system administrators, developers and service partners are invited to apply at www.skypeforsip.com. Applicants will need to be businesses, have an installed SIP based IP-PBX system, as well as a level of technical competency to configure their own SIP-enabled PBX. The initial beta is available to a limited number of participants.

During the beta period all calls will be charged at standard Skype rates. Further pricing details will be announced when the product is fully launched later this year.

Skype says it's offering the licenses gratis to "establish a new industry-wide standard in speech processing," ranging from web developers to chip manufacturers to mobile device makers.

SILK transfers audio between 8kHz to 12kHz - at least, that's what Skype said, but we assumed it means 8Hz; thanks to all the readers who spotted the inconsistent numbers - compared with the 300Hz to 3.4kHz signals from most telephone companies. That means the conversation will sound clearer and more life-like, assuming both ends are using the codec.

Click Here to Continue Reading

It seems that eBay-owned Skype has the knack of always living up to its promises - at least if its new deal with mobile giant Nokia is anything to go by.
Skype is linking up with Nokia to embed its calling software in the Finnish company's new handsets, writes Aftab Bashir for VoIP.biz-news.

The spybiz exec, who preferred to remain anonymous, confirmed that Skype continues to be a major problem for government listening agencies, spooks and police. This was already thought to be the case, following requests from German authorities for special intercept/bugging powers to help them deal with Skype-loving malefactors. Britain's GCHQ has also stated that it has severe problems intercepting VoIP and internet communication in general.

Skype in particular is a serious problem for spooks and cops. Being P2P, the network can't be accessed by the company providing it and the authorities can't gain access by that route. The company won't disclose details of its encryption, either, and isn't required to as it is Europe based. This lack of openness prompts many security pros to rubbish Skype on "security through obscurity" grounds: but nonetheless it remains a popular choice with those who think they might find themselves under surveillance. Rumour suggests that America's NSA may be able to break Skype encryption - assuming they have access to a given call or message - but nobody else.

The NSA may be able to do that: but it seems that if so, this uses up too much of the agency's resources at present.

"They are saying to the industry, you get us into Skype and we will make you a very rich company," said the industry source, adding that the obscure encryption used by the P2Pware is believed to change frequently as part of software updates.

The spyware kingpin suggested that Skype is deliberately seeking to frustrate national listening agencies, which seems an odd thing to do - Skype has difficulties enough getting revenues out of its vast user base at any time, and a paid secure-voice system for subversives doesn't seem like a money-spinner.

But corporate parent eBay, having had to write down $1.4bn already following its $2.6bn purchase of Skype back in the bubble-2.0 days of 2005, might see an opportunity here. A billion or two from the NSA for a backdoor into Skype might make the acquisition seem like a sensible idea.

We asked the NSA for comment, particularly on the idea of simply buying a way into Skype, but hadn't yet received a response as of publication.

Source: The Register 

SHAPE Services released its cross-platform application IM+ for Skype in the App Store on iPhone. IM+ for Skype enables text chat and cost-effective calls to Skype contacts and to any phone numbers. Reliable callback technology is used for calls thus providing best phone call quality with no extra delays and latency typical for VoIP.

IM+ for Skype is available in App Store on iPhone under the Social Networking category.

IM+ for Skype is fully compatible with Skype calling plans such as Skype Unlimited or Skype Pro thus making possible significant savings on mobile communication including long distance calls.

Currently IM+ for Skype is also available for RIM BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian, J2ME, Palm and Android smartphones.

Skype's future as an eBay company is looking increasingly unsure as speculation mounts over its possible sale.
eBay's chief executive, John Donahoe, has done nothing to ease expectations of a sell-off. Last week he told analysts that "synergies between Skype and the other parts of our portfolio are minimal" and that it is "a great standalone business".

The departing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Kevin Martin announced another investigation is to be launched into Comcast shortly before leaving his post.
The regulatory agency is to focus on allegations that Comcast is deliberately downgrading its rivals' phone services.

Skype has announced that it is to integrate Skype functionality with IBM's LotusLive.
The new cloud services from IBM are designed to help individuals build communities to work more effectively and efficiently across and beyond their own companies.

Usually we are not reporting about upcoming, not released yet, applications, but this one is special: the original native Skype for iPhone is coming! While already several third pary apps for iPhone offer some Skype functionality, they often are based on usage of 3rd party servers and proxies and simply do not offer some functions.

Skype is a revolutionary voice over IP (VoIP) program that brought VoIP to masses thanks to usage of easy, Instant Messaging -like, user interface and excellent voice quality. Skype offers also I.M., video calling, file transfer and through plugins many other functions, including screen sharing. Skype was originally owned by a Swedish guy with headquarters in London, England and development (programming) division in Estonia (east EU). Later it was purchased by eBay (USA).

For the first time Skype itself is confirming Skype for iPhone:

Scott Durschlag, Skype’s chief operating officer, said Skype’s iPhone application is still under development. Engineers are still working on cutting the amount of power the application consumes, he said.

Skype would not be the first iPhone program that makes use of Internet calling technology to save people from having to spend their cellular minutes. But when Apple started letting outside companies make programs for the iPhone, it barred voice-over-Internet applications from connecting to the cellular network, leaving them functional only when the user is in a Wi-Fi hot spot.

To learn more, visit related article about Skype for iPhone.

Source: Mobile Tech Addicts

The options for VoIP calling on the iPhone are expected to continue expanding with both Skype and Truphone expected to join a growing list of VoIP apps for the Apple handset.
Truphone already provides an app for the iPhone which enables users to make low-priced international calls via the GSM network even when the smartphone is not connected to the Wi-Fi network.

Boingo Wireless has agreed a deal that will allow Skype users to access more than 100,000 Boingo Wi-Fi hotspots worldwide, and pay using Skype Credit.
The feature, called Skype Access, will be embedded into Skype as a core feature, first in the Skype for Mac 2.8 Beta software just released and then in versions of Skype for other operating systems sometime in 2009.

ASUS has launched the first Skype certified videophone allowing unlimited video calling over the Internet.
The AiGuru SV1, part of the Eee Phone product family, has a 7" display and a built-in webcam, speaker and microphone.

iSkoot has announced that its mobile application, iSkoot for Skype, is launching in the Android Market.
It is the first VoIP solution available on Google’s new mobile application store.
Available immediately for download, iSkoot for Skype also runs on nearly all major mobile platforms, including J2ME, S60v3, UIQ, Palm, Windows Mobile and BlackBerry.

Zoom Technologies announce their Model 5900 Phone Adaptor for Skype is available through more than two thousand selected Wal-Mart stores in the U.S. The adapter is also available on-line at www.walmart.com. The Model 5900 allows purchasers to use any phone, even a cordless phone, for Skype calls.

Wal-Mart has taken a leading role in introducing American consumers to the significant savings available through the Skype phone service. The Zoom Adaptor for Skype makes the service as easy to use as a standard telephone.

Most people use Skype by plugging a headset into their Windows PC and running Skype application software, which can be downloaded free. Skype reduces the cost of phone calls, and also provides extra features such as video calling and "presence," where an on-screen list shows whether friends and business contacts are ready to receive a Skype call.

The Model 5900 unties a Skype user from his or her computer and headset. Model 5900 lets a Skype user enjoy the familiarity, intimacy, features, and styling of whatever phone the user chooses. Plugging a cordless base station into the Zoom Adaptor lets someone use a cordless phone for Skype calls in the kitchen, bedroom, home office, or anywhere else that's convenient.

The Model 5900 also allows cell phone users to remotely access their Skype service to make international calls. This can easily save hundreds of dollars per month on those calls. Additional information on how to use this powerful feature is provided at: Skype/cellular whitepaper.

Plugging the adapter into a working telephone "landline" (a conventional phone line with dialtone), provides these extra features:

• The phone plugged into the Adaptor can make and receive both Skype and conventional calls.
• Emergency calls can be placed reliably by the family and household visitors, including the babysitter, even when there is a power failure.
• The Adaptor makes it easy to have a 3-person conference call between a remote Skype user, someone using a phone connected to the Adaptor, and someone calling the Adaptor's landline.

From today, customers of mobile operator 3 in the UK and Ireland will be able to use their mobile phones to call landlines and mobiles abroad at low rates using Skype.
The move applies to anyone using a Skype-enabled 3 mobile phone - including the 3 Skypephone range, Nokia N95 and Sony Ericsson C902.

Skype and Digium, creator and primary developer of Asterisk, the open source telephony platform, have announced the beta version of Skype For Asterisk.
The move will allow the integration of Skype functionality into Digium’s Asterisk software and enable customers to make, receive and transfer Skype calls from within their Asterisk phone systems.

Skype’s Christopher Libertelli recently questioned the major US wireless carriers’ commitment to open networks.
Today voip.biz-news.com has the response from Gizmo Project’s CEO, Michael Robertson, who accuses Skype of hypocrisy for wanting others to open their networks while refusing to open its own.

The UK communications industry regulator, Ofcom, has told internet telephony providers that they must now allow emergency 999 calls over their networks or face the risk of enforcement action.
Effective immediately, the ruling for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers affects businesses such as BT, Vonage and Skype that offer services that connect VoIP calls to the public telephone network.

Christopher Libertelli, Skype's senior director of government and regulatory affairs for North America, has written a strongly-worded letter complaining that the major US wireless carriers are all talk when it comes to "open" networks.
Writing to the FCC chairman, Kevin Martin, he said that if the Commission wanted to live up to its stated goal of making open networks more accessible, it would affirm that this policy covered wireless networks.

Mobile operator 3 UK has unveiled the next-generation Skypephone handset, the 3 Skypephone S2.
The new device gives users access to Facebook, Google and Windows Live Messenger and enables free Skype calls and instant messaging.