While I remain dubious about how Skype might ever fit well in the enterprise business space, my friends at VoSKY have had a great solution in place that does bring Skype into the corporate network in a way I believe is safe and feature-rich. Now they've announced a new co-branding model that I expect will grow.

Skype to Sell Co-Branded VoSKY Exchange PBX-to-Skype Gateway for Businesses
Available Exclusively in the UK & Rep. of Ireland

LUXEMBOURG and SUNNYVALE, CA (May 2, 2007) — Skype and VoSKY Technologies today announced co-branded versions of VoSKY Exchange, a rackmountable PBX-to-Skype gateway that enables business users to make and receive Internet-based Skype calls over standard office phones. The co-branded Skype VoSKY Exchange 9040 and 9140 products are available in the UK and Rep. of Ireland.

“This agreement is an important step in the expansion of our Skype for Business Portfolio,” said Alberto Lorente, Skype’s business development director for Europe “The ability to offer Skype trunking through the company PBX is critical for business use, and VoSKY Exchange offers an inexpensive plug-and-play solution that integrates seamlessly with the office phone system, allowing companies to make, receive and transfer Skype calls, while also making it easy for companies to deploy Skype to end users and track Skype-related spending.”

Both models of Skype VoSKY Exchange add four Skype lines to the office PBX without requiring changes to the existing PBX or desk phone infrastructure. Multiple Exchange boxes can be set up in different company offices anywhere in the world for free calling between sites. Calls to other Skype users are also free, while calls to non-Skype users are typically charged at SkypeOut global rates. Full SkypeOut global rates are available at www.skype.com/intl/en/products/skypeout/rates/

The 9040 model offers trunk-side (FXO) connectivity to the PBX. The 9140 model connects on the extension-side (FXS) and adds the ability to transfer Skype calls between offices by extension without dialing the full office number.

“Skype’s decision to co-brand our VoSKY Exchange product reflects the demand for Skype enablers in the business community,” said Dean Chang, President and CEO of VoSKY Technologies. “Companies around the world have deployed our solution to take full advantage of Skype’s offering, and we expect this agreement to accelerate market penetration in the UK both by adding the Skype brand and increasing our visibility in Skype’s online business portal.”

Skype VoSKY Exchange supports virtually all PBX systems out of the box and has no operating cost except for SkypeOut charges. It can be installed in as little as two hours, has received Skype certification, and has a low one-time cost that typically pays for itself within four months through Skype savings on long-distance and international phone calls.

Businesses interested in learning more about the Skype VoSKY Exchange can visit www.vosky.com/skype .

About VoSKY Technologies
VoSKY Technologies is dedicated to promoting the widespread use of Internet-based VoIP phone services by developing products that simplify and enhance the use of Skype, the world's largest Internet telephony network. The company’s flagship product is VoSKY Exchange, a family of rackmountable gateways that enable businesses to route Skype calls through the office PBX for use on standard desktop phones. VoSKY’s product line also includes consumer hardware accessories for using Skype on any traditional handset, mobile phone, or speakerphone. All VoSKY products have received Skype certification. With sales in over 20 countries, VoSKY Technologies’ principal office is located in Sunnyvale, CA, and maintains branch offices in Colorado Springs, CO; Basingstoke, United Kingdom; Bogota, Colombia; Shanghai, China; and Taipei, Taiwan. VoSKY Technologies is a wholly owned subsidiary of Actiontec Electronics. For more information, call 408-731-3900 (USA), +44 (0) 845-65-80211 (UK) or visit www.vosky.com .

About Skype
Skype sets conversations free by providing new and easy ways to stay in touch over the internet. Millions of people every day make free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls and send instant messages using our software. Some pay a little per minute for long-distance and international calls to phones and mobiles and for SMS, voicemail and call forwarding, or they buy subscriptions that give unlimited calls nationwide.

We certify and sell hundreds of hardware products from more than 50 partners and work with third-party developers to create software to extend Skype's functionality. Skype has been downloaded more than half a billion times and over 196 million people from almost every corner of the globe have registered.

Skype is an eBay company (NASDAQ: EBAY), and you can learn more and get Skype at www.skype.com.

Make your world a smaller place: talk, share and do more with Skype.

Access to a broadband Internet connection is required for Skype and all Skype Certified devices and accessories. Skype is not a replacement for your traditional telephone service and cannot be used for emergency calling.