NEW YORK - International web calling phenomenon Skype says it is adding high-resolution video picture phone features to its free telephone service.

Version 2.0 of the Skype software at aims to make it easier for customers to sign up and use its phone-over-Internet services, which are free on computers and offer low per-minute charges when calling conventional phones.

In addition, Six Apart, a top maker of blog software based in San Francisco, has agreed to embed links to Skype as an option for millions of users of its Typepad blog service, the two companies said.

The new Skype software also will allow users of Microsoft Outlook email software to install a browser-based toolbar that offers instant links to Skype and notifications when other Skype users are online.

"Video calling has come of age," Skype vice president of marketing Saul Klein said of the new feature.

The deal with Six Apart will enable web users to place instant web-based phone calls to bloggers via Skype, further enhancing the two-way nature of blog communications.

The option of adding Skype will be available early next year on Typepad, and eventually on Live Journal, a second blogging service from Six Apart with which nearly 9 million blogs have been created, the companies said in a statement.

"This allows you to see a button on a blog and start talking to the person who publishes that blog," Mena Trott, co-founder and president of Six Apart, said in a phone interview. "That is the next step in blogging."

Logitech and Creative, which collectively sell around two-thirds of the world's webcams have agreed to distribution partnerships with Skype. For quality video calls, users need to have a broadband connection.

Skype's long-rumoured upgrade to video phone calling capabilities competes with computer instant messaging services that also offer video phone calling features, including Microsoft MSN and America Online's AIM service.

The upgraded Skype software also features "mood indicator" software that allows users to let their contacts signal whether they are happy, sad, listening to music, available or busy and other phone personalisation features.

These include ring tones to alert Skype users to callers and customisable personal images, known as avatars, for which users will pay around $1 a piece. Among the companies supplying avatars are American Greetings and UK-based Weemees.

Skype and Logitech plan to jointly market Skype Video and Logitech webcams and telephone headsets worldwide, engaging in regional promotions and direct outreach to Logitech customers and Skype users, Logitech said in a separate statement.

What is the bandwidth requirement??

The 50K for voice is quite reasonable.

And, VOIP is still technically illegal in Thailand. When will we see real progress in LOS?

This came from corporate IS last week:

Removal of Skype Software Effective Immediately

IT has been instructed to remove/disable Skype software from all computers accessing the corporate network, effective immediately.

IT, in conjunction with the Office of General Counsel, has recognized Skype software as a threat to corporate’s intellectual property protection practices and has authorized the removal of the Skype application from all systems. In addition to application removal, the Office of Information Security & Risk Management (OISRM) will now be monitoring and blocking Skype-related traffic to mitigate the threat to the global XYZ computer operating environment.

How is Skype a Threat?

Skype enables users to place uncontrolled and unregulated voice calls and chats (Instant Messages) and perform file transfers via the Internet to another end user running the Skype application. Such behavior leaves enterprise organizations open to a variety of liabilities and potential virus infections as well as loss of intellectual property.

Due to Skype’s encryption, it is impossible to monitor the contents of communications via this medium. Additionally, recent Skype software exploits have increased the susceptibility of system compromise for those computers with the Skype application installed.

Preferred Alternatives

XYZ employees should see minimal impact due to the removal of Skype software and are encouraged to use other currently approved methods or services for communications, such as:

Chat: AIM, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ

Telephony: XYZ phones, cell phones and VOIP (limited availability)

File transfer: a variety of approved internal methods

Encryption: OISRM approved technologies (i.e. PGP, VPN)

If you have any questions, please contact the IT Service Desk at ...........................