Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons - R. Buckminster Fuller
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Skype and Verizon deal is confirmed
VOIP AND CHAT OUTFIT without much of a business plan, Skype and US telecom Verizon have confirmed Skype over 3G in a statement at the Mobile World Congress this afternoon.
Industry observers had twigged that Verizon and Skype would announce a strategic relationship at their joint press conference held earlier today in sunny Barcelona, Spain.
The deal will see VoIP technology over telco 3G networks get its first endorsement. In this case it's Skype on Verizon and the partnership is set to commence in March. Verizon will offer smartphones with data plans and "a new way to call anywhere in the world."
This will give Verizon's 3G smartphone users the ability to use Skype mobile for Skype-to-Skype and Skype Out, send and receive instant messages and see their friends' online presences. The launch scheduled for March will also see Verizon offer Skype mobile access on nine smartphones.
This move steals a march on other major US telco operators and we'll be watching how AT&T reacts. Iphone users still don't have an app for VoIP over 3G - well, nothing that's legal - thanks to AT&T's refusal to allow VoIP traffic on its network. This will give Verizon a head start and some experience with VoIP. Verizon is due to roll out its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network later this year. µ
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How do you assert that Skype has no business plan when they reported around $700 million in revenues last year and have had something like 10 or 11 quarters of profitability. Like your journalists, I'm too lazy to find the link.
This is a great arcticle, I am wondering, first it was ATT, now it's Verizon, will T-Mobile join this venture as well?
AT&T and Apple have now (at least 2 weeks ago) allowed VoIP over 3G, and there are several available apps in the Apple Store. We've been using Acrobits, and it works pretty good over 3G, and is great on Wi-FI. No head start for Verizon.