July 2004

July 27, 2004. Today Skype launched its free, Skype for Windows Version 1.0 software, which includes SkypeOut, enabling Skype users to pre-pay and call any phone number in the world at highly competitive local rates. Also included in Skype 1.0 is a new file transfer feature and other software enhancements. New beta versions of Skype for Linux and Skype for Pocket PC with the SkypeOut feature are also available. (Please read the change log and FAQ.)

“Thanks to our beta users evangelising Skype, their continued feedback and our exceptional development team, Skype now delivers on the long anticipated promise of Internet telephony,” said Niklas Zennström, Skype CEO and co-founder. “Skype is helping consumers everywhere move beyond the limitations of last century’s telecommunications tools to experience new value and quality.”

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July 23, 2004. Skype Technologies S.A., the Global Internet Telephony Company that offers consumers the ability to make free superior quality voice calls using their Internet connections, today announced agreements with COLT, iBasis, Level 3, and Teleglobe to provide call termination services worldwide. The agreements are in place in preparation for SkypeOut, a soon-to-be-launched pre-pay service that allows people to call any telephone number in the world from anywhere in the world using the Skype software.

“These companies are visionary in recognizing that terminations to the legacy public telephone network can be expanded with the advent of Internet telephony and the global proliferation of broadband,” said Niklas Zennström, Skype’s CEO and co-founder. “We will now move quickly and offer SkypeOut calls to landline and mobile phone numbers around the world.”

“More than 7 million people in over 170 countries have joined Skype since the company launched its Internet telephony software last year, and the company averages more than 400,000 active users at any point in time,” said Sureel Choski, president of softswitch services for Level 3. “By any measure, that is a significant accomplishment, and a testament to the quality of Skype’s offering and the inherent advantages of Voice over IP. We believe we deliver superior value and experience to our termination customers, and we look forward to supporting Skype on this important initiative.”

“We carefully evaluated our options and chose companies that give us a good global reach across the US, Asia and Europe and will provide a balance of trust, competitive pricing and quality-of-service for SkypeOut users,” said Zennström.

Terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

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July 16, 2004. Taipei — Hung-Tze Jan, PChome Online's chairman, and Niklas Zennström, Skype's CEO and co-founder, today announced the official release and availability of PChome-Skype version 0.98. PChome Online is the first company to offer their users a co-branded version of Skype, the world's most popular Internet telephony software.

The chairman of PChome Online, Mr. Jan said “The potential of the Internet as a voice communications platform is finally being recognized, and it is going to radically change the telecommunications industry as we know it,” said Mr. Jan. “Just like e-mail changed our behavior on mail by post, Skype can definitely change our concept and behavior about how we view telecommunications. In addition, Skype will also help to speed up broadband penetration in Taiwan.”

“PChome Online is at the forefront of offering next generation services to their customers and we couldn't have asked for a better opportunity to introduce Skype to their millions of users,” said Niklas Zennström.. “Skype gives people new power to affordably stay in touch with their friends and family as well unparalleled flexibility in how and when they communicate.”

Free features from Skype include PC to PC voice calls with superior voice quality, conference calls with up to 5 members, instant messaging, the capability to add photos to personalize your online presence and a global directory. The latest version of PChome-Skype is available for download starting July 15th at skype.pchome.com.tw by simply clicking on the PChome-Skype logo. Once they have downloaded the software for their Windows PC, users will immediately benefit from free voice calls worldwide using either a headset or handset plugged into their computer, or the PC's built-in speakers and microphone.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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