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.

Om Malik is predicting that Skype for iPhone may be announced as early as Monday in Las Vegas at CTIA. 

Om says this is a necessity as Skype turns to mobile to keep its growth "intact." We've been saying that mobile VoIP players should fear the Skype. The company continues to roll into different spaces, by doing such things as releasing a SIP gateway and preloading on mobile phones at times and places of its' choosing - to the detriment of many me-too mobile VoIP players.  

Malik says he is working on getting more details and screen shots, but the question is if he can get them before Skype makes an announcement.

Meanwhile, Andy Abramson is wondering if Skype has cut a deal with AT&T mirroring what it has done with UK mobile operator 3, with Skype-to-Skype and Skype Out calls being free of mobile minute usage. Hmm, how much clout does the world's largest long-distance carrier have?

Ironically, Om recently publicly ditched his iPhone due to problems with finding reliable 3G service. And Om was a little peeved at Skype earlier in the week for not pre-briefing his pub on the SIP gateway, so maybe someone has made nice since then.

For more:
- GigaOm says it's heard Skype has worked out a deal with AT&T and Apple.  Article.
- Andy Abramson puts his two cents on what it all means. Post.

Related articles
Fear the Skype - FierceVoIP
CES 2009: TV, cell phones, business = Ubiquitous Skype - FierceVoIP
Skype embeds on Nokia, Sony-Ericsson phones - FierceVoIP

March should be relatively calm, but the clock has started ticking toward a tumultuous April.

Fierce will be closely monitoring the news coming out of CompTel and eComm this week. I expect at least one technology announcement from Skype at eComm, and there may be some other interesting releases out of San Francisco before Friday.

On March 9, Qwest and four other phone companies pull the plug on New Mexico's SkyWi operation. How this might impact customers is unknown; regardless, Fierce continues to come across information that makes me wonder if I'm seeing the same story as the local and national media. Expect to see more coverage at FierceTelecom as events unfold.

Fast forward to the end of the month, and I'll be on site at VoiceCon in Orlando on March 31 and April 1. I'm currently finalizing my travel and availability schedule for the event, so if you're looking for an editorial briefing, I'd be willing to take it under consideration.  

The same week as VoiceCon, I also expect some splash-over news from CTIA as people tell FMC, UC, and mobile VoIP stories, so there's going to be a lot going on. Expect major craziness. We'll be taking some briefings under embargo for CTIA, so feel free to get in touch with us if you have a FMC, UC, or mobile VoIP story coming out at the show.

MetaSwitch's user's conference in Las Vegas is one week after CTIA and VoiceCon. I'm tempted to go because there's talk of representatives from more than 400 carriers in attendance and some whispers of major announcements being made at the event.

Wrapping up April, I'm going to be in Las Vegas on April 20-21 for the NAB Show, so there are a lot of events and a lot of press releases to be reviewed.

- Doug