Today PChome Online, a Taiwan-based Internet portal company, announced it partnered with VoIP-based service provider Skype, to jointly develop a wide range of consumer electronics products. PChome, who currently offers a co-branded version of Skype’s VoIP service, also announced today its first Skype-ready corded USB phone, the PChome Touch-1, which will be marketed through its company's Internet commerce Web site this April.
PChome Online says its Touch-1 product is the first to be launched with Skype certification. The device is a corded USB phone which can be easily connected to the PC via a USB interface. The Skype API phone will allow Skypers to control the service with function buttons and the keypad. The user will be able to hear the ringtones through the USB phone and receive calls, as well as make SkypeOut calls from the numerical keypad. Other functions include microphone muting, quick dial, and backlight LED for status notice.
"Skype's alliance with PChome Online is changing the communication landscape in Taiwan by giving people the next generation of Internet telephony. PChome Online's decision to offer easy-to-use Skype compatible products is helping us continue Skype's rapid growth in Taiwan and mirrors our success in other Asian markets," said Niklas Zennström, co-founder and CEO of Skype.
PChome Online chairman’s said "With Skype's success in Taiwan and around the world, the potential of the Internet as a voice communications platform is finally being recognized. PChome Online will team up with Skype to develop a wide range of consumer electronics products in order to serve our users in the best possible way.”
Today’s announcement follows Skype’s recent partnership with Buffalo Inc. to co-brand the company’s Internet telephony software in Japanese as Buffalo-Skype, and to market a series of headsets and microphone products optimized for Skype. As part of the agreement Skype’s free Internet telephony software will be available from Buffalo’s Web site for free download and branded as Buffalo-Skype. The Japanese networking and peripheral company will also be selling Skype-optimized headsets and microphone products online.
PChome Online
www.pchome.com
Skype Technologies S.A.
www.skype.com
| Johanne Torres is contributing editor for TMCnet.com and Internet Telephony magazine. Previously, she was
assistant editor for EContent magazine in Connecticut. She
can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]. |
|
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[January 20, 2005]
