Livedoor Offering Skype’s IP Phone Software

Tokyo, Oct. 26 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Internet business operator livedoor Co. said Tuesday it has joined hands with Skype Technology SA of Luxembourg to distribute the “Skype” Internet protocol phone software in Japan.

With Skype, users of broadband Internet services will be able to make and receive both domestic and international phone calls free of charge via their personal computers and personal digital assistants.

Phone calls between PCs will be free of charge, but phone calls from a PC to a fixed phone will be charged.

The software is based on Peer-to-Peer technology that allows users to share, search for and download files without the use of computer servers. Currently used by 13 million people around the world, it allows high sound quality and offers high security with end-to-end encryption.

livedoor has developed a Japanese version of the software, and started distributing it free of charge on its Internet site the same day.

Niklas Zennstrom, co-founder and chief executive officer of Skype, stressed at a press conference here that the Skype software is a technology that makes the cost of telecommunications lower as it does not require expensive communication infrastructures.

livedoor President Takafumi Horie told the same press conference that his company hopes to expand its businesses using the Skype by developing television telephone software based on the Skype, among others.

At present, livedoor’s Japanese version of the Skype software is only available for PCs with Windows operating system. livedoor will shortly launch software for Mac OS and Pocket PC 2003, it said.END