VoIP provider Skype has launched Skype Pro for European subscribers, combining popular features and zero-cost calling into a subscription package costing just €2 a month.
"The combination of Skype’s free features with Skype Pro is very compelling," said Stefan Oberg, VP & GM of Telecoms at Skype. "Along with zero per minute calling, Skype Pro includes free voicemail, a generous discount on SkypeIn numbers, attractively priced Skype devices, plus five euros of SkypeOut credit when you sign up for five months. Skype Pro is a simple and cost-effective way for people to keep in touch with one another the world over."
For €2 per month, Skype Pro offers zero cents per minute calling to domestic landline phones in 15 European countries; previously, these calls were €0.017 per minute. The package also includes Skype Voicemail (previously €15 per year), a €30 discount on SkypeIn numbers, a €5 credit, a €30 discount on a Philips VoIP 841 cordless phone, a €10 discount on an SMC Wi-Fi phone, and additional discounts on Skype extras like ringtones, avatars, and desktop sharing. For a limited time, users can sign up for 5 months at €10 and receive €5 in Skype credit. But there’s a catch: Skype Pro is limited to Skype users calling landline phones within the same country; it does not cover calls to mobile phones or other non-geographic numbers.
Skype plans to roll out Skype Pro in other countries around the world during 2007; for now, the offer is available in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
