If you really must have this application and want to try it out (which works today on Symbian 60 Smart Phones --- think Nokia) then my recommendation is to create an extra handle "buddyonmobile" and ask your buddies that you will be calling via mobile to reauthorize you. Add money at your own risk etc.

The iSkoot pages make a big deal of Skype this and that. I was unsure if this was a joint venture, so I contacted SparkPR and asked them if Skype was involved. They said Skype is not. Still I'd imagine that Skype probably saw the PR release somewhere. If so the product wasn't tested. Even reading the documentation I felt the red flag running up.

In some ways this is a shame. I reported on EQO last week that launched a quite different program but with similar results. IE you got Skype presence info on your cellphone and it would connect you to your buddies. However EQO did it by providing a small program for your desktop PC which you left running. It was quite safe to use although a little buggy. By contrast I assume that iSkoot is using Skype clients to log in and out and update presence. If so it is not very scalable. After that it is a little more difficult to guestimate.

Then there may be another story here. Maybe the real play is being misread by me. If you wanted to get Skype's attention this is the way to do it. Skype has multiple gateways worldwide. Put Skype on the product and we have no problem entering our password. we trust Skype right? Skype has already solved the forward to my mobile element. This may or may not solve the mobile to Skype for a growing number of handsets. If Skype still can't ready their own Symbian solution then this product may be an interim solution. iSkoot sells out to Skype. Bingo $'s.

BTW, this product has been out there about 24 hours. I've seen plenty of PR links but no one has tested it. I can't believe the password thing would be missed otherwise. For more on the orginal iSkoot see this post "iSkoot Born Premature". There seems to be a pattern here. There are many options now available for making calls to Skype buddies via an additional program running on your PC or through a piece of hardware. However only EQO and iSkoot are providing the important "presence" aspect.

In the end I think this proves that there is 1)demand (developers are doing it and consumers using them even when flawed) and 2)a feature that Skype will sooner rather than later add.

This is the PR release. (Note my bold!)

For Information Contact:
Web: www.iskoot.com

For Media Contact:
Scott Baldwin
5W Public Relations
212.999.5585
sbaldwin@5wpr.com

iSkoot Launches First Mobile-Voice To Skype Network

iSkoot’s Complimentary Offering is a Peer-to-Peer Network Connecting Cell Phones to PC Calls Without Custom Phones, PCs or Wi-Fi

CAMBRIDGE, MA – February 14, 2006 – iSkoot, a mobile Internet phone company, today introduced the iSkoot Mobile Network, a gateway that connects cellular voice and PC-to-PC networks. iSkoot Mobile Network allows consumers to place and receive Internet calls with their mobile phones without the need for PCs, special hardware, custom phones or Wi-Fi hot spots.

While the initial offering is for Cingular customers, and supports Skype Software only, iSkoot plans to expand the reach of Skype service to a wider selection of carriers and Internet phone services, such as Google Talk and other PC calling platforms. To take advantage of the iSkoot Mobile Network, Cingular users need only to download a small piece of software to their mobile phones. The Beta version of the iSkootMobile phone application for Skype Software is now available for free at www.iskoot.com and go.iskoot.com. Beta users who download the small client software will receive free unlimited use for the term of the beta.

“We are extremely excited about offering Skype users true mobility. The iSkoot Mobile Network completely frees Skype users from their PCs. It provides an on-ramp to the PC-PC network for cell phone users. With the iSkoot software solution on your mobile phone, consumers can use the Internet to call their online buddies without ever having to use their PC or a broadband connection. Once cell phone users download the iSkoot software to their regular handsets, they will be able to do everything they do with PC Calling, but with true mobility, even away from Wi-Fi hot spots,” said Jacob Guedalia, Chief Executive Officer, iSkoot. “Skype has blazed a path with their cutting edge technology for peer-to-peer voice communications and continue this leadership with the first fully featured peer-to-peer clients on mobile devices. iSkoot offers a complimentary solution that utilizes a light client usable on any mobile phone and enables the full features though its network servers and gateways. In this way our solution extends the reach of mobile Skype, beyond WiFi and 3G. Furthermore it does not require that you have your PC turned on. You do not need a PC, all you need is your cell phone and an iSkoot connection and you can use Skype wherever you are.”

About iSkoot
Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., iSkoot is dedicated to becoming a leader in enabling mobile Internet telephony. iSkoot extends the reach of Interent telephony by allowing users to make and receive calls over the Web using any mobile phone. With iSkoot, VoIP users are no longer bound to their PCs to make and receive calls. iSkoot enables users to take advantage of Internet phone services and buddy systems to make unlimited, superior quality voice calls via next-generation peer-to-peer software from their cell phone. The iSkoot product uses the Skype API but is not endorsed or certified by Skype. For more information, visit www.iskoot.com.

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iSkoot is a trademark of iSkoot Inc. All other trademarks, service marks and company names are the property of their respective owners.

iSkoot PR