Barcelona, 13th February, 2006 —Skype, the Global Internet Communications Company, is to establish a huge new retail presence in Europe, through the creation of a new distribution and retail programme with Dangaard Telecom. The new programme will give Skype Certified products the potential to reach shoppers across more than 34,000 European retailers, who will initially include Mediamarkt, Media-Saturn, Merlin, Dansk Supermarked and Surcouf.
This agreement supports Skype’s growing presence in Europe: Dangaard’s network of consumer electronic, hypermarkets and mobile phone vendors will help expose Skype’s unique worldwide free communications offering to a broad new audience of potential customers. Further, these retail stores will provide consumers with a place to shop for new Skype Certified products, including co-branded products from Simply Phones, Ipevo, Labtec, Sennheiser Communications and VoIPvoice.
The initial product selection will include starter packs, headsets, USB phones, and webcams – all in uniformly-sized packaging with consistent colouring and branding. The product price range will be €10–40 with an entry-level focus. To showcase the products, retailers will be offered plug-and-play ‘Skype Stand’ display units, ready-stocked with Skype certified products, that can be placed anywhere in the store.
“Skype is on the look-out for innovative retail channels, and Dangaard is known for helping build markets for new products, particularly in communications products,” said Saul Klein, Skype’s vice president of marketing. “Customers should love the convenience of being able to view and purchase from an array of Skype Certified products to enhance their communications.”
“Our retailer customers are already purchasing Skype Certified products, and have asked us if they can promote these in a Skype environment,” said Mogens Jakobsen, General Manager, Dangaard Telecom’s VoIP Division. “Our retail programme enables retailers to implement a complete portfolio of Skype Certified products very quickly, and the brand recognition created will certainly attract shoppers. It’s exactly what our customers are looking for.”
In mid-March, Dangaard Telecom will launch the programme into its existing accessories programme, which currently includes 3,500 points-of-sale across Europe. In late March, Dangaard will work with Skype to expand the programme across its 34,000 retail locations in 12 countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain and Sweden).
The Skype–Dangaard programme is open to new retailers. Those interested in featuring Skype Certified accessories in their stores should contact Thomas Friis on mail: skype@dangaard.com, or phone +45 7330 3080.
About Skype
Skype is the world’s fastest-growing Internet communication offering, allowing people everywhere to make unlimited voice and video communication for free. Skype is available in 27 languages and is used in almost every country around the world. Skype generates revenue through its premium offerings such as making and receiving calls to and from landline and mobile phones, as well as voicemail and call forwarding. Skype also has relationships with a growing network of hardware and software providers. 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 Dangaard
Dangaard Telecom has its headquarters in Padborg, Denmark, and is Europe's largest distributor of mobile phones and original accessories for mobile phones. Through new services, the company has developed the traditional distributor role and is today the preferred Value Adding Distributor for a number of Europe's largest manufacturers of mobile phones, tele operators and retail chains. Dangaard Telecom has subsidiaries in 14 countries. You can visit Dangaard Telecom at 3GSM World Congress in Hall 2, Stand no E102, or at www.dangaard.com
