iSkoot announced an extended partnership with Skype. The new agreement follows iSkoot's successful collaboration with Skype and mobile operator 3 for the global launch of the 3 Skypephone, the first ever mass-market Skype-enabled mobile handset.

Under the agreement, iSkoot will have certain exclusive rights to offer Skype-branded mobile software enabled by the iSkoot solution to mobile network operators in Argentina, Greece, Israel, Norway, South Africa, Switzerland and Turkey. These products will deliver mobile Skype voice functionality based on circuit switch-to-VoIP technology. iSkoot delivers an end-to-end client/server/gateway solution that leverages the ubiquitous circuit switching infrastructure of the traditional voice network and offers either an on-premises or iSkoot-hosted ASP implementation.

"This new agreement with Skype underscores the commitment to our partnership and the success that partnership has built over the past two years," said iSkoot Founder, President and COO Jacob Guedalia. "By integrating Skype with the mobile operator's network, iSkoot creates a win-win solution that delivers Skype-to-Skype calling, Skype presence and Skype chat on almost any phone on virtually any cellular network. iSkoot brings to the Skype community the mobile functionality they desire, while adding a killer application to the mobile carrier's content portfolio -- all without undermining infrastructure or existing business models."

"For nearly two years, iSkoot has been working with Skype to deliver Skype on 3's mobile network," said Gareth O'Loughlin, Skype's general manager of mobile and hardware devices. "With iSkoot, we enabled Skype on a wide range of handsets on 3's network and most recently launched the 3 Skypephone. We are looking forward to building on our partnership to bring Skype's mobile offering to more of our users."