Skype was purchased in May by Microsoft Corp., which has its own Windows smartphone platform. The smartphone market is a major focus for the company, as the ability to make long-distance phone calls without paying cellular providers is proving to be a popular option with consumers. The basic model is free, but users willing to pay are granted additional abilities, such as being able to call telephones. It is typically used on personal computers but updated versions permit the service over televisions equipped with internet access and, most significantly, smartphones. Launched in 2003, Skype allows a user to talk via voice, text or video with another user, anywhere in the world, over the internet. "Skype is a great solution, but it's not a replacement for voice," said Brent Johnston, vice-president of mobility marketing for Telus Corp. However, the company will still require customers to have a voice plan in addition to the data plan that enables Skype. Free technical support to help Telus customers use Skype on their phones.Skype credits added directly to their Telus bills, without the need to pay online using a credit card or PayPal.Other benefits are promised for all Telus customers who use Skype: Users can also make free calls to other Skype users. That will allow users to make long-distance calls over the internet to landlines and mobile phones for low monthly subscription or per-minute fees compared to regular prices for wireless long-distance. This summer, Telus and Skype will launch a Skype-branded edition of the LG Optimus Black phone that comes with international Skype calling credits. It is the first such partnership between a Canadian wireless company and an internet voice calling service - a type of application once viewed with suspicion by wireless carriers, which feared cheap or free internet calling might cause customers to ditch their cellphone voice plans. Telus wireless customers will be able to make Skype calls on their smartphones more easily under a new partnership announced this week.
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