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MySpace And Skype Users Can Phone Each Other For Free


In a marriage made in cyberspace if not in heaven, MySpaceIM with Skype will allow users of both services to call and IM each other at will.



In a marriage made in cyberspace if not in heaven, MySpace and Skype said their users will be able to talk to each other free of charge starting in November.

On Wednesday, News Corporation's MySpace and eBay's Skype announced the hook-up that will enable MySpace users to use Skype's VoIP service. Users also will be able to communicate through their respective instant messaging services.

There is probably minimal overlap among Skype's 220 million registered users and MySpace's 110 million monthly users, but the potential is there -- particularly for teenage MySpace users, who may want to call their friends, often impulsively. The two user bases are somewhat different: MySpace has attracted users -- most of them in the U.S. -- in a social meeting context, while Skype users -- most of them outside the U.S. -- use the VoIP service in a more functional manner to stay in phone touch with established friends and relatives. Both services have enjoyed phenomenal growth.

MySpaceIM with Skype will enable users to place free Skype calls and send IM messages to MySpace and Skype users. The companies noted that revenue-producing features of Skype including voice mail and call forwarding will be offered. Other revenue-producing services including SkypeIn and SkypeOut will also be available in November. The companies have declined to break out revenue sharing figures.

Skype will be added to MySpace's IM client, which MySpace said is currently the world's fastest-growing IM platform; some 25 million users have signed up for the MySpace IM feature, the firm said.

The companies said MySpace with Skype will use the personal privacy settings already in use on MySpace. Users can block any MySpaceIM with a Skype user at any time and can pre-screen incoming callers on an "incoming call window."


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