i-mate has made some in-roads with Skype, and have announced the first wireless mobile handsets which will be preloaded with the ever-popular Skype internet phone software. The PDA2K (pictured) from i-mate, along with with the PDA2 handsets will be released with Skype ready to run on the start-up of the device.

Both models boast the dual-mode GSM/GPRS standards and are equipped with wireless LAN functionality. Skype software will also be included on the new i-mate JAMs, as well. All of the i-models are based on the Windows Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition platform.

With the growing market of Voice over IP, industries and individuals are looking for better call pricing. This is where i-mate customers have a choice - they can make calls over the internet, or through their standard service providers.

i-mate is said to be hosting a press and industry briefing on February 14th (Valentines Day) during the 3GSM World Congress about their new agreement with Skype.

i-mate's global headquarters are in Dubai, with offices in Australia, and a recent expansion into the UK and Italy, and with plans underway for the US i-mate launch.

Via [ GeekZone (http://www.geekzone.co.nz/) ]

Nice machine...I wonder how skype will work on the mobile phone...it's going to save people alot of money...maybe skype out will get cheaper.

Hossein Eslambolchi, AT&T's chief technology officer and president of AT&T Labs once said:

"What Skype is doing is like a toy. They will realize they can't scale it, they don't have a brand like the AT&T brand, and they don't have the local footprint, which we have. It's going to be very hard to compete with someone like AT&T."

Now, honestly, do we really care about the AT&T brand?

I think AT&T proved that it doesn't have a "Brand" anymore. Or, at least, not the recognition they'd prefer to have! :) With SBC purchasing them (basically, making 'Bell' again), I think that AT&T needs to keep their mouth's shut, these days. Instead of saying things like "...like a toy." How about PARTNER with them? If it works out, everybody wins! It's just so typical of the cocky attitude the big guys have. Rome fell, too. No-one expected that either. ;)