News

Skype for Pocket PC - what about Smartphone 2003/4?

Any way of connecting your Microsoft smartphone to a WiFi card? No? Pity; you could have free calls if you could! Skype has released Skype 1.0 for Pocket PC version 1.0 software from the DEMOmobile, 4 months after launching the beta.

The announcement came from DEMOmobile, where organiser Chris Shipley called the Pocket PC version ""a killer application for the wireless PDA market, offering a powerful new combination of wireless computing and mobile telephony." Shipley added: "Skype disrupts the status quo and is creating significant demand for mobile and other new generation WiFi-enabled devices."

The software is a free download available immediately at www.skype.com. It's only fair to add that I've never managed to make it work, but perhaps the beta code was responsible ...

"With the launch of Skype for Pocket PC 1.0, Skype is expanding consumer choice in mobile, global communications by offering free Skype-to-Skype calling and affordable SkypeOut calls to any traditional phone number," said Niklas Zennstrom, Skype CEO and co-founder. "We are delivering greater platform and portability options for consumers looking to take advantage of the cost and quality benefits of Internet telephony. We will continue to expand platform choices for our users."

Skype for Pocket PC includes the SkypeOut service, offering global calling to any traditional telephone number at local rates. The service allows Skype users to pre-pay and use their computing device and Internet connection to call landlines and mobile phones anywhere in the world. SkypeOut Global Rate pricing is 1.7 Euro cents per minute (approx USD$0.02).

The complete country rate sheet is available online. The full news release is also available but this is an updatable page, and will probably be hard to find it on in a month or so.