Verizon and Skype team up!

TheForce

SatelliteGuys Master
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Oct 13, 2003
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Jacksonville, FL, Earth
I would have never expected to see this:


Verizon Wireless and Skype Join Forces To Create A Global Mobile Calling Community
11:15a ET February 16, 2010 (PR NewsWire)

At the 2010 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Verizon Wireless and Skype today announced a strategic relationship that will bring Skype to Verizon Wireless smartphones in March. The new Skype mobile(TM) 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(R) Storm(TM) 9530, Storm2(TM) 9550, Curve(TM) 8330, Curve(TM) 8530, 8830 World Edition and Tour(TM) 9630 smartphones, as well as DROID by Motorola, DROID ERIS(TM) by HTC and Motorola DEVOUR(TM).

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."

Customers interested in learning more about Skype mobile for Verizon Wireless smartphones can visit www.verizonwireless.com/skypemobile. Additional information about the service will be available next month.

Visit Cell Phones,Smartphones,Mobile Cell Phone Plans - Verizon Wireless for more information about Verizon Wireless or follow the company at Verizon Wireless (VerizonWireless) on Twitter. Learn more and download Skype at Skype ? Make free calls and great value calls on the internet or follow the company at Skype on your Mobile (skypemobile) on Twitter.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 91 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 83,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (Nasdaq and LSE: VOD). For more information, visit Cell Phones,Smartphones,Mobile Cell Phone Plans - Verizon Wireless. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About Skype

Skype is software that enables the world's conversations. Millions of individuals and businesses use Skype to make free video and voice calls, send instant messages and share files with other Skype users. Everyday, people everywhere also use Skype to make low-cost calls to landlines and mobiles. Download Skype to your computer or mobile phone at skype.com.

Access to a broadband Internet connection is required. Skype is not a replacement for traditional telephone services and cannot be used for emergency calling.

Skype, associated trademarks and logos and the "S" symbol are trademarks of Skype Limited.

SOURCE Verizon Wireless
 
If I've never had a use for Skype before this, is this anything for me to get excited about?

Does this means Skype and VZW are going to go after apps on the market and store that are already doing this? Or will they just provide an official app that does it better?
 
Skype is available for the iPhone, but you can only use it on WIFI. However they are supposed to be releasing a new version that does work on 3G.

The thing that stinks is to get a Skype call you always need to keep Skype running. Since the iPhone does not do multtasking it makes the app useless unless you want to make outgoing calls.
 
We mainly use skype here for video teleconferencing. Therefore when we set it up, it is a planed event. Most people I know who use it do so as a planned event for a conference call or video communication as opposed to making a simple phone call.

I also used it while traveling on a cruise ship. In this case it was with family who did not have skype or even a computer such as my parents. I sat on my balcony and used the ship's wifi connection with a head set connected to my laptop and skype. In this case I had to buy telephone connection minutes from skype since I was making a call to a regular telephone rather than a computer. This is still far cheaper than even the prepaid calling cards but
not when figuring in the cost of ship's wifi connection minutes. Thing is the bottom line still makes it cheaper than using the ship's phone service.
 
Skype is available for the iPhone, but you can only use it on WIFI. However they are supposed to be releasing a new version that does work on 3G.

The thing that stinks is to get a Skype call you always need to keep Skype running. Since the iPhone does not do multtasking it makes the app useless unless you want to make outgoing calls.

That would not be a problem with the Droid.
 
The problem with skype and keeping your app active is that skype is viewed like a lonely hearts club to many on the web. I kept getting all these lonely women ( at least they identified themselves as such) when I kept it active for inbound calls. MY wife got the same including some men too looking to chat and make friends. So we just use it for scheduled events.

At least when you shut it off it stops. On my e-mail I constantly get lonely people wanting to "be my friend" on face book. I don't even have a face book account.
 
Skype is available for the iPhone, but you can only use it on WIFI. However they are supposed to be releasing a new version that does work on 3G.

The thing that stinks is to get a Skype call you always need to keep Skype running. Since the iPhone does not do multtasking it makes the app useless unless you want to make outgoing calls.
If you have the iPhone, you can use iCall. I use it. It works over 3G and WiFi, and does not go against your minutes. The free version works the same, it just limits you to 5 minutes per conversation.

iCall - VoIP for your iPhone
 
the only way i can talk to my oldest nephew who is on a yearlong church mission in hondorus is via skype. problem is i encountered some bug when i downloaded it and had to remove. i did enjoy using it though.
 
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