| Skype adds Java-based VoIP client |
Apr. 28, 2008
 VoIP software provider Skype is beta testing a Java-based version of its flagship VoIP soft-client. The new "mobile Skype" software is currently available for about 50 Java-enabled mobile phones, including devices made by Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson.
(Click for larger view of the "Skype for your mobile" beta )
The mobile Skype version lets mobile users receive calls from other Skype users, and for users who purchase the SkypeIn service, from any phone, says eBay subsidiary Skype. Currently, the ability to make outgoing calls, via Skype-to-Skype and SkypeOut, is limited to seven markets with customers using the "3" Skypephone handset and service: Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Poland, Sweden, and the U.K.
The "Skype for your mobile" voice channels are not true VoIP at this point, so standard cellular tariffs still apply. The client uses cellular service "for the first and/or last legs of Skype, SkypeOut and SkypeIn calls," says Skype, switching to and from VoIP via Skype gateways in between. The company claims the hybrid approach was required to keep the client "lightweight." However, Skype's data-oriented features can use potentially free or low-cost VoIP connections via WiFi and 3G links. These features include chat, group chat, and "presence" -- the ability to view when other Skype contacts are online.
Skype was the first company to popularize VoIP softphones, enabling users to call or chat with other Skype users at no cost. Low-cost SkypeOut and SkypeIn services let users place calls to landlines and mobile phones. To date, some 309 million registered users are responsible for more than 100 billion minutes worth of free Skype-to-Skype calls, claims the company.
The Windows Mobile client for Skype
(Click image for further information) |
On the Windows Mobile front, Skype has offered a native client since 2004, but this reportedly requires a speakerphone or headset. The "3" service has offered its customers their own mobile Skype handset hardware, which does not require such peripherals.
Unlike VoIP based on standards such as SIP (session initiation protocol), Skype uses proprietary protocols. But, for those who do not want to experiment with Java, alternative, Skype-compatible Windows Mobile clients are available. These include Fring and iSkoot.
Stated Skype GM Gareth O'Loughlin, "These are still the early days for making Skype calls on mobile phones, but we've already made great strides in this space. It is an important time for us to listen to our users' feedback, be it through surveys or user forums."
Availability
The Java-based "Skype for your mobile" can be downloaded directly over the air to a handset or to a computer, for later transfer to the handset. The free download and list of compatible phones should be available here. A "public" version will be released in "several months," says Skype.
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