Las Vegas, Jan 3, 2006 – IPEVO™, a US subsidiary of PChome Online, will launch two new devices at the International CES show in Las Vegas, January 5-8. The new products, FLY.1, a USB cordless handset and Xing, a USB speakerphone, are designed for both the Windows and Macintosh platforms and offer Skype® users enhanced mobility and rich sound quality.
FLY.1 is a USB cordless handset with a speakerphone that works exclusively with Skype. It is designed to integrate the Skype experience with the operational familiarity of a telephone. The cordless handset offers portability and enables communication using Skype away from the user’s PC or Macintosh through a wireless USB dock. FLY.1’s angled design reinforces the intuitive and habitual act of talking to someone face to face so users can talk freely for extended periods of time.
The Xing USB speakerphone is the first device from IPEVO designed for business teleconferencing using Skype. The cross-shaped device is designed to sit atop a desk or boardroom table allowing for multi-user participation through four separate speakers. The device is not restricted by a phone jack, allowing for increased mobility and user convenience. Xing also offers enhanced sound quality through echo cancellation and microphone sensitivity, and is the second IPEVO product to receive an iF product design award.
Both products will be available for demonstration at the eBay/Skype booth at CES 2006 and are expected to be available through retail channels in the first quarter of 2006.
“IPEVO continues to design and produce stylish Skype devices supporting both Windows and Macintosh operating systems at low prices,“ said Robert Lo, IPEVO’s chief operating officer. “Xing and FLY.1 are designed to complement the Skype experience, as well as offer simple, reliable, user-friendly products at low prices.”
IPEVO has also announced the general release of a Mac-compatible driver for its Free-1 Skype USB phone. Free-1 is the first Skype handset to support both Windows and Mac platforms and is also an iF product design award recipient. Free-1 will also be available for demonstration at CES 2006.
“IPEVO’S new Skype products complement and enhance the Skype experience for Windows and Mac users alike,” said James Bilefield, vice president of business development for Skype. “We’re particularly delighted that our growing user base will now be able to enhance their Skype experience in both business and personal settings.”
For further details and specifications of FLY.1 and Xing, please visit www.ipevo.com/ces/index.html
IPEVO Website: http://www.ipevo.com
Free-1 Mac Driver: www.ipevo.com/downloads.jsp
CES 2006 Website: http://www.cesweb.org/default_flash.asp
About Skype
Skype is the world’s fastest-growing service for Internet communication, allowing people everywhere to make unlimited voice and video calls for free. Skype is available in 27 languages and is used in almost every country around the world. Skype generates revenue through its premium service offerings such as making and receiving calls to and from landline and mobile phones, as well as voicemail and call forwarding services. Skype also has a growing network of hardware and software partners. Skype is an eBay company (NASDAQ: EBAY). To learn more visit skype.com.
Skype is not a telephony replacement service and cannot be used for emergency calling.
About IPEVO
IPEVO Inc., a subsidiary of PChome Online, is based in San Jose and is the sole company to design and develop a wide range of easy-to-use and affordable Skype devices, including corded USB phones, cordless USB phones, speaker phones and WiFi phones. PChome Online Inc. is Taiwan’s leading internet portal and online-shopping company. PChome Online has teamed with Skype since July 2004 to offer the first co-branded version of Skype. IPEVO Website: http://www.ipevo.com
