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Verizon Will Encourage Skype Use on Its Data Network
Verizon Wireless will let its subscribers download Skype mobile and place free or low-cost international calls over its wireless network. Verizon's Skype downloads are targeted at BlackBerry and Android-powered smartphones. Despite the savings with Skype, Verizon customers will still need voice and data plans at about $70 a month.
The Skype download is aimed at the BlackBerry Curve, Storm, Storm2 and Tour, as well as Android-based smartphones such as the Motorola Droid and the HTC Droid Eris. Verizon also said the VoIP app will be coming soon to the Motorola Devour.
Skype is expected to change the way mobile consumers in the United States make and receive calls, noted Verizon Senior Vice President John Harrobin. "With an 'always on' capability, Skype mobile on your 3G smartphone means you never have to miss a call or make an appointment to connect with Skype users around the world," Harrobin said. "With Skype mobile, we're untethering Skype users from their PCs and enabling them to stay connected."
Enterprise Savings
Among other things, Verizon's data -plan subscribers will be able to use Skype mobile to initiate or receive unlimited free voice calls with any Skype contact around the globe, as well as send and receive unlimited instant messages with other Skype users. These Skype-to-Skype interactions will not be charged against subscribers' monthly minute voice allowances or data plans, the company said.
The potential in-house savings for enterprises with large numbers of mobile workers who need to stay in constant communication should be more than enough to encourage many businesses to adopt free Skype numbers for their personnel. Skype mobile users also will gain the ability to sense the presence of fellow workers as well as engage in instant-messaging sessions and even group conference calls.
The free download will also let consumers and businesses save money by placing their international calls over Skype. "You can use Skype mobile on the Verizon network in the U.S. to make international calls to either landlines or mobile numbers using Skype credits and at low competitive Skype rates," said company spokesperson Debra Lewis.
A U.S. Exclusive
Still, Verizon isn't about to cannibalize its lucrative voice business by giving everything away for free. Subscribers who download Skype mobile will still need to pay for a voice plan to place calls to landlines and cellular phones without Skype accounts in the U.S. "Our smartphones require a $30 monthly data plan and voice plans starting at around $40 month," Lewis said.
Earlier this month, Skype and Nokia announced the availability of Skype mobile from Nokia's Ovi Store. The free download, which is currently available to Nokia users overseas, is compatible with a wide range of Nokia handsets, including the company's E series and N series.
Within the United States, however, Skype mobile is available exclusively from Verizon. Though it's unclear whether the app will be coming to U.S. Nokia handsets any time soon, Skype expects "to add support for more phones and platforms later this year," according to in-house blogger Peter Parkes.
The version of Skype mobile available for download from Nokia's Ovi Store not only does everything that Verizon's app does, but enables users overseas to share pictures, videos and other files from their phones. By contrast, Verizon is initially restricting the mobile app's functionality "to just voice and IM," though Lewis noted that the network operator is "thinking about more features and functionality for the future."
Wireless Business Solution Zee Tawasha