VoIP giant Skype is now letting Web sites and other Internet applications tap into the pool of people using the Luxembourg-based company's instant-messaging service.
Skype is set to formally release on Thursday the latest version of its voice over Internet Protocol service, which includes call forwarding and downloadable ring tones, pictures and sounds.
Skype is shaking off its consumer shackles and finding favour with enterprises, with almost one-third of its customers using its telephony software for business.
Users of the VoIP service can now send and receive SMS messages, for free, using the software.
Australian Skype users can now have their own SkypeIn phone numbers.
Microsoft is set to announce that it has purchased a small Internet calling start-up called Teleo, as part of a move to expand the capabilities of MSN Messenger.
Software-based phones are coming to the fore as big changes come to the way people make calls.
Making phone calls over the Internet isn't just for the tech savvy anymore. Using Voice over Internet Protocol is easier than ever before, with several services out there that can help drastically reduce your phone bill.
If you're using a Microsoft Windows operating system there is also a good chance that you use Office and Outlook as your email client. But is this really a choice?
Microsoft's new batch of services borrows heavily from current or proposed products. Is Windows Live just another name for MSN?
Whether you plan to use Skype or not, the Skypephone is a full-featured budget priced phone and value for money if you don't break it first.
What's not to like about Skype? It's free and ad-free and offers clear VoIP calls to other Skype users anywhere in the world.
With an interface that lacks ads but is also short on features, this early Google Talk beta serves Gmail users who want to chat via text or voice.
Making phone calls over the Internet isn't just for the tech savvy anymore. Using Voice over Internet Protocol is easier than ever before, with several services out there that can help drastically reduce your phone bill.
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