October 2004

Carentoir, 28th October, 2004 - The Guillemot Corporation Group, a major player in the market of peripherals and accessories for computers and game consoles under its Hercules and Thrustmaster brand names, is pleased to announce the signing of a worldwide partnership agreement with Skype Technologies S.A.

Under the agreement Skype software, which enables free Internet telephony for unlimited PC to PC calling, will be bundled with Guillemot products worldwide.

Skype is the global Internet telephony company currently revolutionizing the world of telecommunications by allowing Skype users to make superior quality voice calls via the Internet to other Skype users for free, or to any landline or mobile worldwide for the price of a local call.

“The performance and ergonomics of our Hercules and Thrustmaster audio solutions, combined with the Skype software’s superior quality, will allow consumers to experience a new dimension in free telephony via the Internet,” stated Claude Guillemot, President of the Guillemot Corporation Group. “Internet telephony provides new opportunities for communications and therefore is a growth vector for our lines of gaming and computer peripherals.”

“Our partnership with the Guillemot Corporation Group allows us to increase our visibility within the gaming community,” explains Niklas Zennström, CEO and Co-Founder of Skype. “We invite all gamers to try Skype with the new bundles provided by the Guillemot Corporation Group.”

Skype is available for the Windows, Linux, Mac OS X and Pocket PC platforms, providing a simple, reliable and user-friendly communications tool that works in any location with an Internet connection. Skype users can communicate with friends, family, colleagues or fellow gamers with greater flexibility than ever before.

“For the first time ever, we are offering consumers complete solutions dedicated to Internet telephony,” states Laurent Derennes, Producer at Guillemot Corporation. “The first product covered by this partnership will be the Muse Pocket USB (offered at €59), an external USB audio unit that sits on the user’s desktop. When used with Skype to make calls, it adds the convenience of being able to control the volume or instantly switch off the speakers or headset directly via the main button, without having to make any adjustments on the computer. What’s more, users can do this on any type of computer.”

Skype software has been downloaded more than 30 million times in more than 210 countries and territories around the world.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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Tokyo, October 25, 2004— Livedoor K.K. (President and CEO Takafumi Horie, Tokyo, Shinjuku: public stock code 4753) and Skype Technology S.A. (CEO Niklas Zennström, headquarters Luxembourg) have agreed a partnership agreement to deliver a co-branded Livedoor-Skype software, providing free Internet telephony soley through Livedoor's portal.

Skype is the Global Internet Telephony Company revolutionizing the world of telecommunications by allowing Skype users to make superior quality voice calls via their PC over the Internet to other Skype users for free, or to any landline or mobile worldwide at local rates.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with such a dynamic and visionary company. This is a big step forward for Skype in Japan, giving millions of Japanese Internet users the opportunity to benefit from the extensive features Skype voice calling offers,” said Niklas Zennström, CEO, Skype.

Skype software is based on Peer-to-Peer technology that enables Skype’s 13 million users to participate in and create a global telephony network where the power of the network grows with the number of people joining. The technology is very sophisticated, yet simple to use and setting up Skype is very easy and takes only a few minutes.  Skype calls deliver superior sound quality.

Skype’s free software features include:

• Conference calling — enables simultaneous and seamless voice communication between groups of up to five friends, family or colleagues


• Global Directory — the user-built global Skype contacts directory with numerous search options and an easy add-a-contact tool


• Tracking — call and message tracking


• Customization — MyPicture image display, ring tones, call alert options


• File transfer — the ability to send and receive files via Skype and education and warning regarding virus potentials with file attachments


• Mobility — login into Skype account on more than one PC anywhere in the world.


• Multiple Skype accounts on one PC


• SkypeOut — calls to any landline or mobile destination in the world at highly competitive rates


• Instant messaging & more

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Beijing, October 24, 2004 – TOM Online (Nasdaq: TOMO; Hong Kong GEM stock code: 8282), a leading mobile Internet company in China, and Luxembourg-based Skype Technologies S.A. announced today they have entered into an agreement to bring to Chinese Internet users a state of the art communication tool and instant messaging service.

Co-branded as TOM-Skype in China, the service will be launched on October 25 solely through TOM Online. Since its launch a little more than a year ago, Skype’s user base has grown rapidly to more than 13 million worldwide, with up to one million concurrent users. Its award-winning software, available to anyone with an Internet connection on Windows, Linux, Mac OS X and Pocket PC platforms, is easy to use and has superior CD-like, crystal clear voice quality.

“As a pioneer of peer-to-peer technology, Skype is certainly living up to the hype. We are excited to partner with Skype to introduce such cutting-edged technology to Internet users in China.” said Wang Lei Lei, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of TOM Online. “Skype has revolutionized the instant messaging market in the world. I’m sure it would be as popular in China.

“TOM Online is a forward-thinking and innovative company, and their rapid growth is a testament to their management team’s understanding of the Chinese consumers,” said Niklas Zennström, Skype CEO and co-founder. “We are honored to join with TOM Online and bring Skype to the Chinese people.”

About TOM Online

TOM Online Inc. (Hong Kong GEM stock code: 8282, NASDAQ stock symbol: TOMO) is a leading mobile internet company in China, operating one of the most successful Internet portals in China (www.tom.com) and offering a wide variety of online and mobile services, including wireless internet and online advertising. In the wireless internet arena, TOM Online provides a diverse range of services such as SMS, MMS and WAP, and is the largest player of wireless interactive voice response services (IVR services). As of June 30, 2004, TOM Online is the only portal in China that enjoyed a top three ranking in every wireless internet service segment.

TOM Online is a subsidiary of TOM Group Limited (“TOM Group”), one of the leading Chinese language media groups in the Greater China region. TOM Group’s diverse operations span five media sectors: the Internet (through TOM Online Inc.), outdoor (through TOM Outdoor Media Group), publishing, sports and TV & entertainment.

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October 20, 2004.

Today Skype reached a new milestone and had more than 1 million simultaneous users globally connected to each other at the same time. As of Tuesday, October 19, Skype has served more than 2 billion minutes of free Skype-to-Skype calling.

Skype is the fastest growing, globally available communications tool in history, the previous others were Netscape, ICQ, Hotmail & KaZaA. More than 12.9 million users from every country in the world account for over 28 million downloads of Skype software in the first 14 months. 

Thank you to everyone for your support.

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