Skype is synonymous with VoIP. Anytime that I have to voice chat, I cannot rely on the voice communication which my Windows Live or Yahoo instant messaging clients have to offer. I always open up Skype and have a clear static-less Skype-to-Skype conversation.
What would be even more convenient and downright amazing is a way for me to contact Skype-installed smartphones and talk to them for free, without any time limits. Unfortunately the voice chatting via Skype is restricted to computer-to-computer conversations… until now.
The Mobile World Congress this year has seen some major news including the unveiling of the Windows Phone 7 series and ‘Opera Mini for iPhone’. The unveiling of Symbian 3 also took place at this year’s MWC and I wonder what else the Congress has yet to offer. For now, I am excited about the latest piece of news out of the MWC which Verizon announced.
Verizon is a key player in today’s cellphone industry and a major cellphone service provider. Verizon’s certain actions in the past (such as disabling the Bluetooth on their Motorola V710 cellphones) have led many to label Verizon as the most controlling telecommunications company. But all that should change, now that Verizon has announced that it will be partnering with Skype to provide unlimited Skype-to-Skype phone calls to smartphone users.
I know it might sound unbelievable but that is exactly what was revealed at the MWC; starting next month, all Verizon Wireless customers with smartphones (and an accompanying data plan) will be able to make and receive unlimited Skype-to-Skype voice calls to any user in the world over its 3G network. The initial list of supported cellphones include: BlackBerry Storm 9530, BlackBerry Storm2, BlackBerry Curve 8330, BlackBerry Curve 8530, BlackBerry Curve 8830 World Edition, BlackBerry Tour 9630, Motorola Droid, HTC Droid Eris, and Motorola Devour.
To further facilitate users, Skype will also offer competitive international calling rates for international calls placed by Skype. A soon to be launched Skype Mobile application will support Skype Out calling and instant messaging between Skype users thus enabling them to always stay connected to their contacts.
Verizon’s partnership with Skype to provide this unpredictably great facility to cellphone users raises the bar for other telecommunication companies. I hope the next major move made by a telecommunications company tops Verizon’s and continues to surprise and facilitate cellphone users.
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