Tuesday, 9 January 2007

Can Netgear's Skype Phone Dethrone your Old Cordless One?

Skype, the Internet communications company, has unveiled twelve new Skype Certified devices and accessories in a press conference, many of which eliminate the need for a PC to make Internet-based Skype calls. The new devices and accessories, from consumer electronics manufacturers ASUS, IPEVO, NETGEAR, Philips and TOPCOM add to the more than 150 Skype Certified products already available worldwide.

The latest hardware announcement comes on the heels of the company's release last month of its new Skype 3.0 software, which provides Skype users with even simpler and easier ways to talk to one another, as well as new range of communications features designed to bring together users who share similar interests. Some of these new features include community-led text chat and discussion (Public Chats), live moderated conversations (Skypecasts) and the ability to play games and collaborate with other Skype users (Skype Extras), as per a statement issued by the company.

"Communications today involves more than just free voice calls over the Internet," said Eric Lagier, Director, Business Development, Hardware and Mobile. "Skype's goal is to set conversations free by making them possible in many forms and places. Skype Certified devices and accessories are a crucial part of this vision as their simplicity and power make Skype even more relevant to people's lives."

New Skype Desktop Internet Phones

The newest Skype Certified hardware category to emerge in 2007 is Skype desktop Internet phones that enable users to place and receive calls with Skype via broadband Internet connections without being connected to computers. The first products in this category include:

• IPEVO's Solo.1
• TOPCOM's Webt@lker 5000 with Skype

• NETGEAR's Dual-Mode Cordless Phone with Skype (SPH200D): this dual-mode DECT cordless phone simultaneously connects to a user's home network router and phone line wall jack, enabling users to place and receive both traditional phone calls and Skype Internet calls from a single cordless handset without needing to be tethered to a PC, the company said.
• Philips' VoIP841 Cordless PhoneM: this DECT cordless phone harnesses the power of Internet calling via Skype without requiring a PC. Winner of a CES Innovation Award for its outstanding design and best-in-class feature set, the VoIP841 allows users to make and receive both free Skype Internet calls and traditional landline calls simply by connecting an Ethernet cable and phone line to the phone's base, the company claimed.