Skype and Global IP Sound Extend Agreement On Hardware Market




Manufacturers will have the opportunity to offer free, high-quality, Skype calling on Wi-Fi enabled mobile handsets

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -/October 03, 2005 - Wi-Fi Technology News/- Skype, the pioneering Global Internet Communications Company, which offers free high-quality phone calls to anyone with an Internet connection, today announced that it has extended its agreement with Global IP Sound (GIPS), the leading provider of embedded voice-processing solutions for the Voice over IP (VoIP) market. The companies will work together to support Skype for desktop computers in line with the original contract and now future versions of Skype for the growing hardware market.

Alongside other partners, GIPS will provide components of its voice-processing technology not only for use in Skype software for desktop computers but also for pre-installed versions of Skype on certain hardware devices. As a result, manufacturers will have the opportunity to offer free, high-quality, Skype calling on Wi-Fi enabled mobile handsets.

"The contract extension with GIPS continues our strategy of offering our callers new and exciting ways to use Skype which complement their desktop experience while extending their options of mobile Skype calling," said James Bilefield, Vice President of Business Development of Skype. "We see Skype on mobile devices as a big part of our future development and are delighted that GIPS is working with us and other partners to advance this critical part of our business."

GIPS voice-processing technology supports Skype's free calls over the Internet by addressing sound delay, acoustic and network echo and jitter enabling Skype to offer superior quality calls to anyone worldwide.

"Skype is one of our most valued partners as a pioneer that's revolutionised global personal communications. We are happy to continue our work with Skype that offers its 55 million users high-quality calling that surpasses traditional analogue telephones and at the same time extend our partnership to bring these capabilities to hardware manufacturers across the globe," said Gary Hermansen, President and CEO of Global IP Sound.

About Skype Technologies SA

Skype, the Global Internet Communications Company TM), allows people everywhere to make free, unlimited, superior quality voice calls via its award-winning innovative peer-to-peer software for Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, and Pocket PC platforms. Skype is available in 27 languages and is the fastest growing voice communications offering worldwide.

Since its launch in August 2003, Skype has been downloaded more than 170 million times in 225 countries and territories. 55 million people are registered to use Skype's free services, with more than 3 million people using Skype simultaneously at any one time. Skype earns revenue through its premium service offerings, and has a growing network of global affiliates, and a community of developers working with the Skype APIs. Skype Technologies SA is headquartered in Luxembourg and has offices in London and Estonia. http://www.skype.com

About Global IP Sound

Founded in 1999, Global IP Sound develops embedded voice processing technologies for real-time communications over packet networks. GIPS SoundWare(TM) provides better than PSTN voice quality and fidelity in end-to-end IP communications with robustness against packet loss. Global IP Sound's world-renowned speech processing and IP telephony experts deliver these solutions to applications developers, gateway and chip manufacturers. Global IP Sound is a member of the Intel PCA Developer Network, the Motorola Design Alliance, and Texas Instruments' third party developer network. Global IP Sound has headquarters in San Francisco and offices in Stockholm, Boston and Hong Kong. More information is available at http://www.globalipsound.com.