Skype Unveils Small Business Solution; New Web Support, Hardware and Software Partners Enhance Small Business Communications

Skype for Business introduces a dedicated Web site aimed atsimplifying global communications and group administration forcompanies with fewer than 10 employees, a market represented by morethan 50 percent of businesses already using Skype. This new resource,available now at the Web site skype.biz, makes it easy for companiesto use Skype and find valuable resources to maximize security andimprove productivity. Other useful features include integration withthe Microsoft Outlook toolbar and new products optimized for smallbusinesses are also available through Skype for Business.

"We know from listening to our more than 75 million customers that30 percent of them are regularly using Skype for their businesses andmost of these are small companies," said Niklas Zennstrom, Skype CEOand co-founder. "Skype is dedicated to being the champion of thesecompanies by making it incredibly easy for them to be productive, savemoney and have access to a sophisticated global communicationssolution that helps them compete."

SKYPE FOR BUSINESS FEATURES

Skype for Business allows administrators to centralize themanagement of company-wide paid services and usability tools. TheSkype for Business Control Panel is available in 18 major languages:Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Danish, Dutch, English,Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish,Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and sixcurrencies: Brazilian real, British pound, euro, Japanese yen, Polishzloty and U.S. dollar. The Skype for Business Control Panel offers anew auto-management feature that enables group administrators to makelarge credit purchases to one account and simultaneously distributeSkype credits, topping-off all customer accounts. Skype credits can beused for Skype premium offerings including SkypeIn, SkypeOut,voicemail, personalization and third-party conference calling.

"We're using Skype and it has reduced our voice communicationscosts significantly." said Mark Ehr, Director of Product Marketing,Proxima Technology ( www.proxima-tech.com), a company that makes service managementsoftware. "We frequently hold international four-way conference callsbetween our offices in Australia, the US and the UK, with usually amix of Skype and SkypeOut, and it has the potential to save usthousands of dollars. We also use Skype to forward our office phonesto our SkypeIn numbers when we're travelling, it's great to be at ahotel in London, receiving free SkypeIn calls, and my callers don'trealize that I'm not sitting at my desk in Denver."

SKYPE CERTIFIED BUSINESS HARDWARE

Plantronics today announced its Internet-optimized Voyager 510Bluetooth headset solution featuring a plug-and-play USB Bluetoothvoice adapter. "Skype for Business coupled with our new Bluetoothheadset is the ultimate tool for small businesses," commented PhilipVanhoutte, EMEA Managing Director, Plantronics. "You no longer need tocarry a multitude of devices. Our Voyager 510 Bluetooth headsetsolution is multipoint, allowing customers to switch seamlesslybetween mobile phone and Internet calls."

Other available high-quality products optimized for smallbusinesses include:

-- Actiontec: Vosky Exchange allows company PBX systems to connect with up to four Skype callers

-- Linksys: Cordless Internet phone provides freedom of movement; a convenient alternative to Skype calls on the PC

-- Polycom: Computer Calling Kit, an option for Polycom's SoundStation2(TM) and SoundStation2W(TM) (wireless) conference phones, enables the conference phones to also serve as the microphone and speaker for Internet calling

-- USRobotics: USB Internet Speakerphone enables hands-free, high-quality Skype calls

THIRD PARTY BUSINESS SERVICES

Skype has partnered to offer enhanced services to businesscustomers. Examples include:

-- Convenos: The Skype Certified Convenos Meeting Center delivers an on-demand Web collaboration and conferencing tool so customers can run productive, cost-effective meetings (convenos.com)

-- Digitrad: 1Touch Connect translates the following languages into English: Cantonese, French, Mandarin and Spanish (share.skype.com/directory/live_interpreter_by_1touch_connect/view/)

-- Salesforce.com: Skype for AppExchange brings Skype features to Salesforce and all the on-demand applications on AppExchange (appexchange.com)

-- Vapps: High-speed conferencing service enables Skype customers to create moderated calls for up to 500 Skype, wireless or telephone participants (highspeedconferencing.com)

-- WebDialogs: Unyte allows Skype enabled businesses to share documents, presentations, applications and/or PC desktops with anyone connected using a Web browser (webdialogs.com/unyte)

Skype already offers small companies the market advantage bylowering operating costs and increasing productivity. Existing Skypefeatures that increase productivity in the workplace include:

-- Presence: Colleagues can see at a glance whether their co-workers are online, are forwarding their incoming Skype calls, or are unavailable. This allows callers to form ad hoc conference calls or online meetings instantaneously, a competitive advantage over the old ways of organizing a conference call

-- Mobility: Skype customers can log into any computer, laptop or PDA anywhere around the world and access their Skype account and contact list

-- Contact List and Global User Directory: Skype eliminates the need for address book maintenance with its central contact list - callers can send contacts and share entire groups of contacts in their buddy list with others

-- Privacy: Skype calls are end-to-end encrypted for superior privacy

-- Ease-of-use: With Skype, there is no expensive equipment to buy

About Skype

Skype is the world's fastest-growing Internet communicationoffering, allowing people everywhere to make unlimited voice and videocommunication for free. Skype is available in 27 languages and is usedin almost every country around the world. Skype generates revenuethrough its premium offerings such as making and receiving calls toand from landline and mobile phones, as well as voicemail and callforwarding. Skype also has relationships with a growing network ofhardware and software providers. Skype is an eBay company(NASDAQ:EBAY). To learn more visit skype.com.

Skype is not a telephony replacement service and cannot be usedfor emergency calling.