Skype Set To Revolutionise Mobile Market

Leading global VOIP provider Skype has today announced it has teamed up with mobile phone network 3 to launch the world’s first voice over internet protocol mobile handset in a move that has seen significant technological advancements into the modern communications market.

The eBay owned telecomms company has announced that its services are to be available at the touch of a button on mobile network 3 handsets, to enable free calls to other Skype users around the world under certain contract conditions.

Users of the service will also be able to access instant messenger services on Skype, effectively replacing the traditional SMS concept with a more real time messaging engine, but only as far as other Skype users are concerned.

Unlike the traditional computer based Skype service, mobile phone customers will not have the option of opting for cheaper calls over the VOIP technology outwith the Skype network, and the mobile operator has said that there will be a requirement for customers to continually top up at least £10 a month on “pay as you go” in order to qualify.

At present, Skype has in excess of 245 million users across the globe, utilising proprietary technology that enables voice transmission over the internet rather than through traditional telecomms channels to provide lower cost calls across the globe.

The deal sees the first time VOIP has been taken to mobile telecommunications, which many analysts have put down to the potentially significant threat it poses to traditional business models within the mobile network market.

It remains to be seen whether 3, the network behind the launch, can continue to maintain profitability in the face of the rising prevalence of Skype and other VOIP services, and indeed whether today’s move will prove prudent over the long term.

Story link: Skype Set To Revolutionise Mobile Market