Verizon Wireless & Skype Team Up For Wireless Mobile Solution
A free Skype
application is coming in late March that will allow Verizon Wireless customers
with select phones and plans to make free calls via Skype. Under a deal
announced at Mobile World Congress, users with one of nine compatible Verizon
Wireless phones and a voice and data plan will be able to call or
instant-message other Skype users for free or call regular phone numbers
outside the United States for a fee paid to Skype. The calls will use Verizon's
network and won't use up minutes on a cell phone plan. When using Skype to call
regular phone number in the U.S., however, minutes will be deducted.
The application will be able to run all the time in the background, enabling other people to contact you via Skype even if the phone is on standby mode. In the past, other wireless carriers have blocked the Skype application from running all the time.
The two companies have created an exclusive, easy-to-use Skype mobile offering for 3G smartphones. Verizon Wireless 3G smartphone users with data plans can use Skype mobile to:
Initially, Skype mobile will be available on millions of best-selling Verizon Wireless 3G smartphones with data plans, including the BlackBerry® Storm™ 9530, Storm2™ 9550, Curve™ 8330, Curve™ 8530, 8830 World Edition and Tour™ 9630 smartphones, as well as DROID by Motorola, DROID ERIS™ by HTC and Motorola DEVOUR™.
John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless, said, “Skype mobile on Verizon Wireless changes the game. For Verizon Wireless’ more than 90 million customers, Skype mobile adds great value because we’re effectively giving customers with smartphones and data plans the option to extend their unlimited calling community to hundreds of millions of Skype users around the globe. And you’re not limited to using a single type of phone; we’ll have nine smartphones ready right at launch in March.”
Josh Silverman, chief executive officer of Skype, noted, “People want to take their Skype conversations with them wherever they go, whether it’s on a PC, TV or increasingly mobile phones. Verizon Wireless will give U.S. consumers the best Skype experience on mobile phones and will truly change the way people call their friends and family internationally.”
Customers interested in learning more about Skype mobile for Verizon Wireless smartphones can visit www.verizonwireless.com/skypemobile. Additional information about the service will be available next month.
The application will be able to run all the time in the background, enabling other people to contact you via Skype even if the phone is on standby mode. In the past, other wireless carriers have blocked the Skype application from running all the time.
VERIZON WIRELESS AND SKYPE JOIN FORCES TO CREATE A GLOBAL MOBILE CALLING COMMUNITY
New Skype Mobile Product for Verizon Wireless Smartphones Brings
More Value to U.S. Mobile Consumers
The two companies have created an exclusive, easy-to-use Skype mobile offering for 3G smartphones. Verizon Wireless 3G smartphone users with data plans can use Skype mobile to:
- make and receive unlimited Skype-to-Skype voice calls to any Skype user around the globe on America’s most reliable wireless network;
- call international phone numbers at competitive Skype Out calling rates;
- send and receive instant messages to other Skype users; and
- remain always connected with the ability to see friends’ online presence.
Initially, Skype mobile will be available on millions of best-selling Verizon Wireless 3G smartphones with data plans, including the BlackBerry® Storm™ 9530, Storm2™ 9550, Curve™ 8330, Curve™ 8530, 8830 World Edition and Tour™ 9630 smartphones, as well as DROID by Motorola, DROID ERIS™ by HTC and Motorola DEVOUR™.
John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless, said, “Skype mobile on Verizon Wireless changes the game. For Verizon Wireless’ more than 90 million customers, Skype mobile adds great value because we’re effectively giving customers with smartphones and data plans the option to extend their unlimited calling community to hundreds of millions of Skype users around the globe. And you’re not limited to using a single type of phone; we’ll have nine smartphones ready right at launch in March.”
Josh Silverman, chief executive officer of Skype, noted, “People want to take their Skype conversations with them wherever they go, whether it’s on a PC, TV or increasingly mobile phones. Verizon Wireless will give U.S. consumers the best Skype experience on mobile phones and will truly change the way people call their friends and family internationally.”
Customers interested in learning more about Skype mobile for Verizon Wireless smartphones can visit www.verizonwireless.com/skypemobile. Additional information about the service will be available next month.
