Tech Shout!

A lot of people in India have a Skype account. Basically, so far Skype which is a VoIP solution is a free of cost service which enables one to call out and in to standard phone lines. Now, another add-on has been bunched with Skype services- SMS messages. Skype has chosen Mobile 365, a global messaging solutions company to provide mobile messaging and data services. Matthew Talbot, Managing Director, Asia, Mobile 365, announced the launch of its India operations at a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday.

India is an attractive market for companies like Mobile 365 since the country is expected to have 200 million subscribers by 2008. “This offers a huge opportunity for Mobile 365 to engage with mobile operators, portals and television broadcasters to offer advanced mobile solutions and message delivery,” the company’s India country manager Kaustuv Ghosh said.

“Skype chose to work with Mobile 365 not only because of its unrivalled global SMS reach, but also because of its ability to access difficult, but highly important markets such as China and India,” said Michael Jackson, director, paid products, Skype. “Mobile 365 uses multiple routes to each destination, enabling us to deliver messages with speed, quality, and ultimately, cost effectively.” With this new service, Skype users can send an SMS to a mobile phone directly from their keyboard. The service is quick and simple to use, and features a straightforward pricing plan; users pay using their existing Skype Credit.

“For example, a Skype user can now contact a friend who is offline, via a mobile message, and arrange a Skype call, thus extending Skype’s reach beyond the PC,” Mobile 365 says.