RTX Telecom A/S signs marketing and license agreement with Skype enabling RTX to develop cordless Internet telephones compatible with Skype
November 22, 2004
Denmark, November 22nd, 2004 — Today RTX, a leader in wireless product development, announced an agreement to develop handsets for cordless Internet telephony with Skype Technologies S.A, the Global P2P Telephony Company™ that is changing the telecommunications world by offering consumers free, high-quality calls worldwide.
Easy-to-use handsets are a key driver in securing a consumer mass market uptake of Voice over the Internet (VoIP). By giving consumers convenient cordless handsets that eliminate the need to sit in front of a PC to use Internet telephony, the telephone will shorten time-to-market and lower entry-barriers for a host of manufacturers. This will accelerate the introduction of a broad selection of handsets to consumers around the world.
The handset allows the end user to decide whether to make a free Skype call via the Internet or use the analogue telephone line. As well as giving users mobility away from the PC, the telephone also provides a highly intuitive user interface and bridges the gap between the switched telephone network and the future world of VoIP.
The cordless aspect of the product is provided by DECT - the well-established and familiar wire-free technology used across the world for existing cordless telephony applications. The telephone base station itself is easily connected to the PC via a USB interface and to the ordinary telephone line via the normal telephone jack.
“Skype and RTX share the vision of harnessing the power of the Internet to give consumers more flexible, cost-effective yet high-quality telephony. Internet telephony is transforming the nature of the telecommunications industry and industry experts expect it to become the de facto method for voice communications within the near future. Our development and marketing agreement with RTX is proof of our commitment to lead this development,” says Niklas Zennström, CEO and Co-founder of Skype.
“Until recently, only technophiles have benefited from VoIP telephony. However, the technology is rapidly maturing, driven by Skype and other innovative companies. We see the greatest opportunity being the price-conscious mass market, where ease-of-use is essential. This is why we have developed a platform for low-cost cordless telephony for both VoIP and standard PSTN, with the added benefit of being able to use a cordless handset, rather than a PC. The first product to be launched is an Olympia branded Cordless DUALphone available now in Scandinavia,” says Jorgen Elbaek, CEO of RTX Telecom.
About RTX Telecom
RTX Telecom is a wireless product development company with 200 engineering experts. The focus is on advanced wireless communication standards that include GSM/GPRS, DECT, Bluetooth, TD-SCDMA, 802.11a/b/g, VoIP and others. RTX Telecom provides individually tailored turnkey solutions where a customer's specification is turned into a fully tested product, ready for the market in the shortest possible time. The company is listed on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange and the customer list includes many of the world's leading manufacturers of wireless communication devices.
RTX Products, a subsidiary of RTX Telecom, is supplying OEM/ODM products, mainly designed by RTX Telecom.
Media Contact
RTX Telecom A/S
Jorgen Elbaek, CEO
Tel.: +45 96 32 23 00
je@rtx.dk or press@rtx.dk
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