Skype is setting conversations free and making them mobile by supporting a range of wireless devices and accessories, as announced at CES (News - Alert) 2008, which started today in Las Vegas. Skype is striving to offer consumers and small business users a mobile Skype experience.

Gareth O’Loughlin, general manager of mobile and hardware devices at Skype (News - Alert) said in a news release, “Internet access is rapidly spreading beyond just the home or office computer, and a world increasingly blanketed with wireless connections is giving Skype conversations the freedom to travel almost anywhere.”

“With the introduction of new mass-market devices at CES that support Skype, millions of people around the world will now be able to leave the desk behind, put Skype in their pocket and take their conversations with them. I think that is immensely liberating,” he said.

Skype offers a variety of services to registered users worldwide along with its hardware and software partners. It includes mobile support for free instant messaging and voice calling for its 246 million registered users.

Its premium offering Skypeout allows cheap calls from Skype to landlines or mobile phones world wide. The Skypeln is a personal and portable number with which people can contact a user who is anywhere in the world.

Skype will demonstrate various wireless devices and accessories at CES. Launched together with mobile operator 3, the 3 Skypephone is a 3G wireless handset which allows users to make Skype-to-Skype calls besides sending instant messages from mobile phones to Skype users. The 3 Skypephone will be available in the UK, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Sweden and very soon in Hong Kong.

The Freetalk Wireless Stereo Headset enabled by the new AvneraAudio technology offers CD-quality sound besides hands-free calls. It allows a range of 20 meters facilitating making and receiving of calls from all over the house.

The Intel (News - Alert)-based Mobile Internet Device would allow Skype users to make voice and video calls and send messages even out of home using the PC-like performance of Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) which use Intel low power processors and chipsets. This mobile consumer device with WiMAX (News - Alert) and Wi-Fi features enable free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls and cheap SkypeOut calls in an open wireless network clarified Skype.

Skype-to-Skype conversations and SkypeOut calls in Wi-Fi connection including Boingo Wireless is enabled by a pocket-sized Nokia (News - Alert) N810 Internet Tablet device.

Pre-installed on Sony’s mylo personal communicator Skype gives users calling and messaging world wide for free on an open Wi-Fi connection.

Skype users can see if friends are online and make free calls to other Skype users with the help of PlayStation portable handheld entertainment system (PSP-2000 series). This simple software update will be available from late January said the company in the news release.

--------

Shamila Janakiraman is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Mark your calendars! Internet Telephony Conference & EXPO — the first major IP communications event of the year — is just days away. It’s not too late to register for the event, which takes place in Miami Beach, FL, January 23–25, 2008. The EXPO will feature three valuable days of exhibits, conferences and networking that you won’t want to miss. So what are you waiting for? Sign up now!