| Service cost-reduces Windows Mobile phone calls |
Sep. 27, 2007
 iSkoot has announced availability of its voice over IP (VoIP) calling application for Windows Mobile handsets. ISkoot version 1.1 supports all Windows Mobile 5 and 6 phones and uses the Skype network, allowing many phone calls to be made at low cost, the company says.
(Click here for a larger ISkoot screenshot)
First introduced in August 2003, Skype -- which is now owned by eBay -- was originally intended just for PC-to-PC telephony, but subsequently supported handheld devices including those running Windows Mobile software. A peer-to-peer (P2P) network makes phone calls from one Skype user to another free, while the company profits by selling users a variety of calling plans for bridging to and from the standard public switched telephone network (PSTN). For example, "Skype Unlimited" can cost as little as $3 a month for unlimited calling within the continental U.S., the company claims.
Thanks to the popularity of the Skype network, many clients have evolved, and a PC is no longer required to make calls. For example, some Philips cordless phones connect either to the PSTN, or, via a broadband Internet router, to the Skype network. In addition, Skype clients are becoming popular on WiFi-enabled Windows Mobile PDAs which, provided that they have a speaker and microphone (or are used with a headset), can thereby act as a telephone substitute.
The iSkoot solution, however, is something of a hybrid. It "utilizes the existing mobile network infrastructure to route Skype calls through the voice channel, ... without any need for PCs, special hardware, custom phones or WiFi hot spots," according to the company.
Thus, while some airtime is used, that time may be at low- or no-cost. "Using the iSkoot Mobile client, users on any cellular network have the ability to make Skype-to-Skype calls on their mobile phone at the same cost as making a local call ... and receive Skype calls at Skype's call-forwarding rates for mobile numbers," the company said in a release.
iSkoot claims that in addition to lowering the cost of long-distance or international calls, the software has other benefits. For example, if a user already had created a list of Skype contacts using a PC or other device, these are automatically propagated onto the Windows Mobile phone for calling convenience, according to the company.
Roy Erez, VP of business development for iSkoot, said "extending support to the Windows Mobile device line has been a top priority for iSkoot." The new release joins existing versions for BlackBerry, Symbian S60, UIQ, Palm, and J2ME.
Citing a co-marketing agreement with Skype, iSkoot says its software is free to download and use, and its services are free "for a limited time." iSkoot may be obtained by direct download onto a Windows Mobile device, via an SMS message, via email, or via a desktop PC using ActiveSync or the Windows Vista Mobile Device Center.
To download the application or obtain further information, visit iSkoot's website, here.
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