Message #91 From:
NewsBot Date: December 13, 2006 03:00:00 AM
EBAY News Skype Announces New Skype Unlimited Calling Plan
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Skype, the global Internet communications company, is now offering U.S.
and Canadian consumers the new Skype Unlimited Calling plan, a paid
annual subscription service that allows registered users to make 12
months of unlimited SkypeOut™ calls to any
phone within the U.S. and Canada. This is the first time that Skype is
making an annual subscription calling plan available anywhere in the
world.
Skype allows its users to make great quality voice and video calls over
the Internet. In addition, Skype can be used to share files, send
instant messages, conduct conference calls, and more.
The Skype Unlimited Calling plan is available for a flat rate of $29.95
per year. People who sign up for the new plan before January 31, 2007
will receive a special discounted introductory rate of $14.95 per year –
50 percent off the regular price. While Skype to Skype calls will remain
free, the new Skype Unlimited Calling plan is an easier and cheaper way
for the growing number of SkypeOut users to stay in touch with friends
and family over any mobile or landline phone. Consumers can also choose
to pay for SkypeOut calls at low per-minute rates (e.g., 2.1 cents per
minute within the U.S. and Canada).
“The new Skype Unlimited Calling Plan is an
affordable option that will save consumers and small businesses hundreds
of dollars compared to high rates charged by traditional phone companies,”
said Don Albert, VP & general manager for Skype North America. “We
want to give Skype customers convenient options of choosing either an
unlimited calling plan with a flat annual rate and or staying with our
standard pay-per-minute offering.”
The new pricing plan follows Skype’s very
successful promotion in which calls within the US and Canada are free
until December 31, 2006. Available starting December 13th
at skype.com, customers who purchase
the new Skype Unlimited Calling plan before January 31, 2007 will get
the discounted pricing of $14.95, as well as a bonus offer of 100
minutes of SkypeOut credit for making international calls and over $50
in discount coupons for purchasing Skype-certified hardware products.
Skype is the leading Internet voice calling solution in North America,
with more than 136 million registered users globally, as of the end of
September 2006. An independent research report called Consumer Home
VoIP Trends published by ChangeWave Research in November 2006 found
that Skype is the most popular residential VoIP service (29 percent)
among the more than one-in-five (21 percent) U.S. telecommunications
consumers already using VoIP at home. The survey of early adopter
consumers also found that another 13 percent of U.S. telecommunications
consumers plan to adopt VoIP technology within the next 12 months.
About Skype
Skype is the world's fastest-growing Internet communication offering,
allowing unlimited free voice and video communication between Skype
users. Skype is available in 27 languages and is used in almost every
country around the world. Skype generates revenue through its premium
offerings such as making and receiving calls to and from landline and
mobile phones, voicemail, call forwarding and personalization including
ringtones and avatars. Skype also has relationships with a growing
network of hardware and software providers.
Skype is an eBay company (NASDAQ: EBAY). To learn more visit skype.com.
Skype is not a replacement for your ordinary telephone and cannot be
used for emergency calling.
Skype, SkypeIn, SkypeOut, Skype Me, Skype Certified, Skypecasts,
associated logos and the “S”
symbol are trademarks of Skype Limited.
