LUXEMBOURG and SANTA MONICA, Calif. – July 12, 2005 – Boingo Wireless, the leading Wi-Fi aggregator and software company, and Skype, the Global Internet Telephony Company™, today announced Skype Zones – Powered by Boingo service, offering global Wi-Fi access to Skype customers at revolutionary prices.
Skype Zones enables Skype’s more than 45 million users to access Skype’s feature-rich Internet telephony via Boingo’s network of 18,000 Wi-Fi hot spots worldwide using a custom Skype version of the award-winning Boingo Software. Unlimited Wi-Fi access for Skype Internet telephony calls is available for $7.95 per month. Skype Zones is currently a beta service, and terms and availability may change.
Consumers and business travelers benefit from the freedom of low-cost, superior-quality calling while on the move by integrating Wi-Fi access and Skype’s multi-mode communications. Skype users simply log on to the Skype Zones service using the Skype Zones – Powered by Boingo software, which includes Boingo’s Wi-Fi sniffer, connection management and roaming authentication capabilities. Once connected, users can make Skype calls and access key features such as presence, global user directory, contact lists and instant messages with the Skype software.
“Partnering with Skype demonstrates the evolution of public-access Wi-Fi to include VoIP and other value added applications by allowing greater connectivity and productivity on the move,” said David Hagan, Boingo president and CEO. “Skype’s convenience and call quality have made it as important to travelers as email, and we expect Skype usage to increase traffic and revenue at our network of hot spots.”
“Boingo is a world-class company that offers Skype users unprecedented global communications mobility and accessibility, at an aggressive, market disrupting price,” said Niklas Zennström, Skype CEO and co-founder. “Affordable broadband access is fundamental to open communications, and partnering with Boingo to deliver unlimited Skype access around the world at such a compelling price point will generate new customers for both companies.”
Skype Zones Availability and Pricing
The combined Skype Zones service is available immediately. It is a beta service during which Skype will solicit feedback from users to ensure optimum service delivery and feature enhancements. The Skype Zones client is available for Windows computers and can be downloaded from the Skype store (www.skype.com) or the Boingo web site (www.boingo.com). Monthly access to Skype Zones is $7.95 per month for unlimited Skype access or $2.95 for a 2-hour connection.
A directory of Boingo’s 18,000 hotspots is included in the Skype Zones software and is also listed at http://skypezones.boingo.com/search.html.
Skype’s Internet telephony allows free, unlimited Skype to Skype calls as well as inexpensive, seamless connectivity to ordinary fixed and mobile telephones. SkypeOut, Skype’s first premium offering which has more than 1.6 million users, offers global calling at local rates. SkypeIn, currently in beta testing, allows customers to purchase a personal number in their resident country to receive inbound calls to their Skype client, and Skype Voicemail customers can maintain continuous availability with a voicemail box, even while offline. With more than 45 million users, Skype is the leading VoIP-category product worldwide and has enabled more than 10 billion minutes of superior-quality talk time.
About Boingo Wireless
Boingo Wireless, Inc. is an ultra-high-speed wireless Internet service available in thousands of locations such as hotels, airports, cafes and other public places in dozens of countries throughout the world. Both directly and through major carrier and ISP partners, Boingo provides business travelers with a wireless broadband Internet connection to improve productivity while on the road. Through its Wi-Fi software and Roaming System, Boingo makes finding and connecting to Wi-Fi networks point-and-click simple and secure. More information about Boingo is available at http://www.boingo.com.
Boingo is a registered trademark of Boingo Wireless, Inc.
