News Skype Sets Its Sights on Cell Phones

Skype is rapidly (if not already become) "Voipzilla", and is now eying the lucrative cell phone market. It plans to pre-load the skype client onto phones that have both Wifi as well as GSM, according to this PCWorld article:

Skype Technologies' VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) software will now come installed on mobile handsets from Carrier Devices' i-mate brand that are equipped with Wi-Fi as well as cellular capability.

Newly manufactured i-mate PDA2 and PDA2K Pocket PC phones will come with Skype's software for making calls over the Internet. The handsets will be equipped out of the box for users to start making Skype calls, Skype said in a statement this week.

The phones use Microsoft's Windows Mobile 2003 software for Pocket PCs and have both GSM/GPRS (Global System for Mobile communications/General Packet Radio Service) and Wi-Fi wireless LAN capability. Carrier Devices also plans to put the Skype software in its i-mate JAM, a smaller version of the handset. With the Skype software, users can make calls over a broadband Internet connection through a Wi-Fi network, bypassing the provider of GSM/GPRS service.

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