Skype Goes Mobile

The VoIP company offers a beta download for Java-enabled phones.

Skype is opening up to the mobile market. So what, you might think, didn’t they do that last year? Well, yes, they did, but that was a deal with mobilecarrier 3. This time they’re painting with much broader strokes.   The new beta, which the company admits might be unstable, can be downloaded to a number of different Java-enabled phones,and will let users see when their contacts are online, start a group chat and use the SkypeIn and SkypeOut features, as well as (of course) talk to those using Skype on their computers, all withVoice over Internet Protocol, or VoiP.   Gareth O’Loughlin, Skype’s general manager for mobile and hardware devices, said:   "While Skype for your mobile is in beta, it is an importanttime for us to listen to our users’ feedback, be it through surveys or user forums. We need to hear what delights them and where there is still work to be done. But this product underscores ourcommitment to innovation and to putting Skype conversations in the pockets of today’s mobile masses."   So far, the download will work with Java-enabled phones from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and Samsung, butthat will be expanded, and customers won’t be charged for Skype to Skype calls.