Skype upped the ante in the internet telephony market yesterday, with the announcement that all US and Canadian users can call traditional landlines and mobiles in the US and Canada for free.
Previously, Skype users in both countries were required to pay for Skype calls to traditional telephones, but users in both countries can now make free SkypeOut calls to the two North American countries until the end of the year.
Skype anticipates the move will expand its increasing penetration in North America and solidify its position in the market.
“Millions of consumers around the world are flocking to Skype every month, and we believe free SkypeOut calling will rapidly accelerate Skype adoption in the US and Canada,” said Henry Gomez, general manager, Skype North America.
Competition in the Voice over IP (VoIP) space is heating up. US carrier Verizon Communications last week slashed the price of its VoIP offering by $5, taking it toe to toe with IP telephony provider Vonage.
Verizon’s VoiceWing broadband service now costs $24.95 per month, the same price Vonage is charging for its Premium Unlimited plan.
Last week, Skype released a new beta version of its software that adds new features including: SMS; simplified dialing; payments in Skype; Outlook contact integration; call quality management; simplified registration; shared contact groups; and improved conference calling.
Skype notched up 100 million registered users worldwide in early May.
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