Hutchison 3 to release Skypephone in eight countries
446542
U.K. mobile phone operator Hutchison 3G UK on Monday rolled out the Skypephone, a handset designed to simplify use of the Skype VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) application.Hutchison 3G, branded as &quot;3&quot; in the U.K., is offering free calls between Skype users through the 3G mobile phone, which goes on sale Friday in the U.K. The Skypephone will be released by the end of the year in Australia, Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Macau, and Sweden.Some mobile phones already support Skype, but volume-based data usage charges typically make the service expensive to use. Skype recommends using its mobile application with unlimited 3G data plans or Wi-Fi.Hutchison 3 has been offering unlimited Skype calls on its pricier X-Series phones, but the Skypephone is simpler and aimed at the mass market, according to a company spokesman. The phone has a large button with Skype&#39;s logo that&#39;s used to launch calls and IMs.Hutchison 3 is not charging for the cost of Skype calls on its network, although it does limit the service to about 4,000 minutes per month. Hutchison 3 will then suspend outgoing Skype calls but allow incoming ones.If a user is outside of Hutchison 3&#39;s network, roaming charges apply, which can be pricey despite a rate drop from operators after warnings from the European Commission earlier this year. The Skypephone is dual-band and won&#39;t work in the U.S.Hutchison 3&#39;s Skypephone allows free calls between registered Skype users, but the SkypeOut service that allows PC users to call regular telephone numbers using Skype is not available. Those must be dialed as regular calls charged for by Hutchison 3.The candy-bar style handset , which comes in white and black, was developed by Huchison 3 and Qualcomm. It has a 2-megapixel camera, MPHutchison 3 player, Bluetooth connectivity, 16MB of internal memory that can be expanded to 1GB with a Micro SD memory card.In the U.K., the handset costs &#163;49.99 ($102) for customers who prepay their service. The phone is free for those on a contract with Huchison 3, which start around &#163;12 per month.Skype, which is owned by eBay, and Hutchison 3, agreed in 2006 to work on a mobile VOIP phone. Hutchison 3 is the smallest U.K. operator and has shown less aversion to shaking up the market, particularly with VOIP, which threatens operators&#39; revenue, wrote John Delaney, principal analyst at Ovum.&quot;The bigger operators, such as Vodafone, T-Mobile, and Orange, have all taken flak recently for alleged hostility towards customers using VOIP on their networks,&quot; Delaney wrote. &quot;Now here comes Hutchison 3, not only encouraging its customers to use VOIP, but bending over backwards to make it easy for them.&quot;&#160;
353318
PHOENIX, Ariz., Nov. 25 - Sharman Networks has announced that Kazaa Version 3 will integrate Skype software via the recently released Skype API.
182400
Assuming you know who you're going to call Skype Pro customers can now make international calls from their mobiles or any other phone at Skype Out rates, provided they've pre-registered the numbers they want to call.â¦
683576
HONG KONG: Hutchison Telecommunications International Ltd, which sells mobile phone services in India, Hong Kong and six other countries, cut its initial public offer target after Asian telecommunications stocks slumped this year.
226492
VODAFONE, the world&#39;s largest mobile phone network, launched its third-generation services in 13 countries today, including the UK.
266511
Vodafone Group PLC formally rolled out its 3G (third-generation) mobile communication products and services in 12 European countries and Japan on Wednesday.
92680
Nokia, the world&#39;s top mobile phone  maker, said on Wednesday it has made Skype telephone services  available on the Nokia N800 Internet tablet.
346820
(InfoWorld) - Nokia introduced Skype Internet-calling software for its N800 Wi-Fi tablet on Wednesday, providing another alternative to using a cell phone, while a debate in the U.S. over what networks such devices may be able to use in the future heated up. When the N800 was introduced at the International Consumer Electronics Show in January, Nokia and eBay's SkypeÂ division said they were working on including the popular software in the device. Nokia delivered it on Wednesday with an upgrade to the N800's software. Current owners of N800s can download the software from Nokia's site. Skype, with a claimed 196 million registered users, has expanded from its roots as a popular PC-based free calling system and offers text messaging, video calling, and low-cost dialing to and from traditional phones. There are already Skype clients for mobile devices and even some cellular smart phones, but some mobile operators try to block VoIPÂ calls because they can eat into their voice business. Unlike the Apple iPhone -- available in the U.S. only through AT&T -- the N800 doesn't have cellular connectivity, only Wi-Fi and short-range Bluetooth technology. So the device can access the Internet in a home or office, at a public hot spot, or on a municipal Wi-Fi network, but not in the vast areas covered by cellular data networks. The N800 is available at retail stores and Nokia's Web site for a list price of $399.99. eBay is among a group of companies calling on the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) toÂ encourage more competition against incumbent mobile operatorsÂ when it auctions off prime radio spectrum in the 700MHz band. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is advocating setting aside part of the spectrum for a network that would allow use of any application on any device, getting away from carriers' limited handset offerings and "walled gardens." But Skype's parent has joined consumer groups in calling for rules that would force spectrum holders to sell access to their networks wholesale to competitive service providers. In addition to the Skype client, the new software version includes an Adobe Flash 9 Web browser plug-in and lets customers use larger capacity memory cards up to 8GB. The N800 has slots to accommodate SD (Secure Digital), MicroSD, MiniSD, MMC (MultiMedia Card) and Reduced-Size MMC cards. The Linux-based device also has a built-in camera and an on-screen touch keyboard and uses the Opera browser.
526007
Upcoming cell phone will offer integrated VoIP features and tools for wireless Web access.
685526
Sony Ericsson unveiled eight phones Tuesday aimed at helping the world's fourth-biggest mobile phone maker boost its market share in emerging and developed markets.
260634
(InfoWorld) - SkypeÂ released the beta version of Skype 2.2, a software client that allows Windows Mobile smart phones to access the company's VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) service over Wi-Fi connections. Previous versions of the software were compatible with Windows Pocket PC devices. The beta works on 120 different Windows Mobile devices, Skype said. Users in range of a free Wi-Fi network can make free VOIP calls to other Skype customers. Users can also pay via their SkypeIn and SkypeOut accounts to receive and make calls to landline phones. New features in Skype 2.2 for Windows Mobile include an enhanced screen with presence status and notification of events such as missed calls and voicemails. The client also now supports secure connections including HTTPS, HTTPS/SSL, and SOCKS5 proxies. Skype recently said that it has seen 5 million downloads of Skype for Pocket PC. Skype promotes the use of its mobile client over Wi-Fi, not over cellular networks. Mobile operators have largely resisted Skype and some have even blocked the service because it can compete with their own voice offerings. But operators would have trouble blocking Skype calls over Wi-Fi networks, which they typically don't control. Last month, 3 Group broke from its competitors andÂ introduced a new data offeringÂ that enables customers to make and receive Skype calls over its 3G network. The service is initially available only on a single Nokia phone model and is supported via iSkoot, a company offering software that enables Skype on mobile phones. In October, Eric Lagier, Skype's head of mobile development, said that the company would introduceÂ a client that would run on Symbian phonesÂ by the end of the year. Fans of Symbian, the most popular smart phone operating system, are still eagerly awaiting the much-delayed Skype client.ADVERTISEMENTNEW IT SERVICES FROM IBM: EASIER TO BUY AND IMPLEMENTDiscover a simpler, more cost-effective way to get the solutions your company needs to grow more flexible and efficient.
305579
Skype handset to launch Monday 3 UK has admitted that it's working on a Skype phone to bring VoIP connectivity to more of its mobile customers.â¦
497355
Internet phone service provider Skype plans to start charging U.S. and Canadian users US$29.95 per year for unlimited calls to regular phones in both countries, as the end of a free trial offer looms.
235753
EBay division Skype and mobile phone  group 3 said on Monday they have launched a mobile handset that  allows users to access internet calls provider Skype while on  the move.
152475
Hong Kong-based conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa is planning to list its Italian 3G mobile phone business on the Milan stock exchange.
614144
Hutchison Telecom has signed a deal with a Hanoi-based firm to launch a third generation (3G) mobile phone network with total investment of 655 million dollars over 15 years.
90876
HONG KONG Hutchison Whampoa has filed with US regulators to raise as much as $2 billion in an initial public offering of its phone business in Hong Kong, India and six other markets.