Press Releases

iSkoot Offers Carriers New ASP Program for Hosting Mobile Skype Services Now

CAMBRIDGE, MA – February 13, 2007 – iSkoot, the service provider for mobile Internet communications solutions, today announced the iSkoot ASP Program for Mobile Skype, which offers carriers a fast track for offering mobile Skype service to their customers. Under the program, iSkoot takes care of all equipment and hosting needed to enable Mobile Skype. Carriers can now tap into a market previously unavailable to them, with minimal investment, while creating a new and significant revenue stream and increasing customer satisfaction. iSkoot is the only carrier-grade, Skype-certified solution available that has the capability to give the tens of millions of Skype users the freedom to use Skype wherever they go, and is already preloaded on mobile phones supporting the X-Series from 3.

The iSkoot-hosted ASP program enables carriers to quickly deploy a turnkey system that empowers their users to make and receive Skype calls using just their mobile device. As opposed to other solutions that require high-bandwidth data channels and high-end phones, iSkoot uses traditional circuit switching infrastructure — thereby requiring no major infrastructure investment — and supports the most popular handsets today. The iSkoot ASP Program enables mobile operators to increase air time, achieve differentiation, stickiness and reduce churn, while enhancing their customers’ experience with the power of Skype calls.

“The iSkoot ASP Program presents a win-win situation for smaller mobile carriers. With iSkoot’s thin client and server and the ASP Program’s hosting services, they are now able to offer free Skype Internet calling without undermining revenues or compromising the integrity of their networks,” iSkoot Founder and CEO Jacob Guedalia said. “iSkoot provides a consumer solution that integrates the buddy-IM network with the mobile network. Under the program, we take care of all required equipment and host our carrier-class server that connects mobile phones to Skype for voice chat.”

“By enabling mobile Skype calls, iSkoot increases mobile carriers’ ARPU by leveraging PC calls to bring new minutes onto the mobile air-time network. The program also enables operators to offer the next killer cell phone application. With the ASP Program, mobile operators can now offer to connect voice communications from a mobile phone to the Skype IM service. Mobile Skype provides the mobile operator with an excellent opportunity to gain air-time minutes, expand ARPU and capture greater market share.”

The iSkoot ASP Program for Mobile Skype
For smaller carriers, the iSkoot solution is now available as an ASP service hosted by iSkoot. (It can also be delivered as an on-premises integrated software solution hosted by the mobile carrier.) iSkoot provides the only carrier-grade, certified solution for Mobile Skype, and now with the ASP Program, a way for mobile carriers to quickly and easily leverage the Internet telephony revolution.

iSkoot provides the only certified, carrier integrated solution for Mobile-Skype IM services. iSkoot allows users to login to Skype, view their buddy lists, chat, and make and receive Skype calls from their mobile phones without the need for a PC or WiFi. The iSkoot mobile thin client extends all the functionality and usability of the Skype IM services to the mobile handset. The iSkoot client is a feature rich application which can be customized to gain the maximum ROI and to provide users with a high grade application.

The iSkoot System Server is a high availability carrier-grade server. iSkoot’s network currently supports users in more than 35 countries. iSkoot uses proprietary technology and has eight patents pending for its unique client-server protocol and interfaces, Mobile-to-VoIP gateway and integrated presence system. iSkoot currently supports a wide range of handsets and is constantly developing clients for the very latest models. iSkoot is also able to accommodate special requests regarding specific devices and platforms to meet carriers’ timelines and requirements. For more information, visit www.iskoot.com or email carriers@iskoot.com.

About iSkoot

San Francisco-based iSkoot brings leading internet services like Skype to mobile handsets around the world, delivering rich consumer experiences with minimal impact on operator networks.

iSkoot launched the first and only carrier-grade, carrier-deployed Skype-for-Mobile application in 2006, and now powers the Mobile World Congress award-winning 3 Skypephone currently sold in eight countries on three continents.

iSkoot takes advantage of the voice-optimized circuit-switched network for delivery of voice communications, in keeping with its mission to engineer elegant and operator-friendly solutions to the challenge of bringing resource-intensive internet services to mobile handsets.

For Information Contact:
info@iskoot.com

For Media Contact:
Erica Jostedt
SutherlandGold Group for iSkoot
iSkoot@sutherlandgold.com
415-934-9600