Nokia and Skype Partnering in Mobile

By Scott Durchslag on February 17, 2009 in Announcements.

Greetings from the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. I’m excited to announce a major strategic partnership between Nokia and Skype. It’s a meeting of two great innovators and two great brands – the world’s largest and most distinctive mobile manufacturer, and the world’s leading communications software company. Together, we’re going to develop and deliver a great mobile Skype experience that meets the needs of our many users who are also Nokia customers. It will also bring Skype to new mobile users in both developed and emerging markets.

Image: Nokia N97 with integrated Skype

What will happen?

Later this year, Skype will be available in high-end Nokia Nseries devices running the Symbian S60 operating system, offering users like you pre-loaded out-of-the-box Skype calls, instant messages and more, via both 3G and WiFi. Skype will be deeply integrated into the device’s address book, and calling using Skype will be very simple – it will be part of the phone’s operating system, rather than a separate application, making it quicker and easier to start a Skype call or send an instant message.

Beginning in the third quarter of 2009, Skype will come pre-installed on new Nokia N97 devices, and existing N97 owners will also be able to get Skype functionality through a firmware update.

How does this fit into our mobile strategy?

As part of our effort to bring Skype to the world’s mobile devices and increasingly mobile consumer, we’ve adopted a three-pronged approach to address this market.

First, we’re making Skype available for consumers to download to their existing mobile devices. Currently, there are downloadable versions of Skype available for the Android platform, more than 100 Java-enabled mobiles from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Motorola and LG, as well as Windows Mobile devices. Already over 11 million copies of Skype for Windows Mobile have been downloaded. We’re adding SMS and File Transfer features as well. And there are more downloadable versions of Skype to come

Second, we’re taking steps to develop partnerships with mobile manufacturers to tightly integrate and pre-install Skype on their devices. Examples of our success are the 3 Skypephone and the INQ1, both of which deliver a wonderfully integrated Skype experience to our users. And now, through our newly announced partnership with Nokia, we will be able to make Skype more accessible and even easier to use by mobile users around the globe.

There are large markets around the world where handsets are sold directly to consumers, and those consumers may never have used a PC to connect with the internet. Many of Skype’s next hundred million users are in these markets and we’re excited to be partnering with Nokia to reach them.

Third, we’re starting to work closely with mobile carriers to develop and deliver a great mobile Skype experience over their networks. The success we’ve had with Hutchison 3 demonstrates that mobile carriers can acquire new users, and increase average revenue per user and increase the number of overall voice calling minutes by partnering with us. This enables them to deliver a tightly integrated Skype experience on the handset and a great mobile data pricing plan to their consumers.

Piecing it all together

Clearly, the mobile industry is at an inflection point. This year will see software and content owners, device manufacturers and mobile operators looking at more ways to work together. What has traditionally been a relationship separated by walls, will increasingly be about an open, collaborative relationship and the common need to work together. The faster this can happen, the better.

People around the world have long been demanding next generation of mobile internet experiences, and so I call upon everyone in the mobile communications industry – carriers, device manufacturers, and software companies like Skype – to work together to deliver them.

Update: Here's a video of our press confernce at Mobile World Congress:

and here's the presentation we went through on the day:

and the video we showed to the audience about the 3Skypephone:

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Comments

This is great news! I'm a Nokia and Symbian S60 user. I have had to rely on third party applications to use Skype. I would love to have a full functioning version of Skype on my Mobile device. The sooner the better...

hi, this news is great... i just cant wait to use it on my nokia5800.... guys please make it fast...... dont you think 3rd quarter is too long......... to wait for such an amazing thing to happen on my handset...
I LOVE NOKIA AND I LOVE SKYPE........ hurry........ bring it on....

cheers guys,,,

This sounds like a fantastic idea! Looking forward to seeing how the new partnership works out.

Why bother when there is Fring for example. "Later this year" - so soon ? I am surprised. Why not 2010/11.

How about a Skype for iPhone? I would be delighted to have a native application for Apple's device.

Great News for Nokia 5800 users ! Just download "fring" Beta version from www.fring.com and start using your mobile phone for skype calls - of course you need either 3G or W-Fi.

Hi - this is all exciting stuff....!!!!
In the meantime, does SKYPE work on Nokia's E90? or are there any other applications that can make VOIP / free calls on my Nokia E90?
Please please help me out with an answer....!
THANKS>>>!!!

Find out Symbian Version number of your phone model. And then check out the compatibility at http://www.fring.com/versions/.

You may also download fring directly into your mobile through m.fring.com !

Have fun !!

Will Skype' HD wideband coders will work in Nokia N97? what coder will be used?

Great for Nokia but... what about Blackberry? Is there any plan to make a Skype Blackberry version, free? i read forums and blogs and the demand is huge...

I have downloaded a Android Version to my Nokia 5300 phone and has been updated to 1.0.5 Version, I happened to see it on the BBC Click program that Skype had joined Nokia phone group and that is GOOD NEWS it is ashame that like on A PC you can make SKYPE-to-SKYPE calls but the Android Version you will not have that ability on a phone,and will have to use SKYPE Credit to talk to your Skype Contacts that you might have built up on your PC there has to be better bells and whistles on running on your phone or phones.
Best wishies to ALL the Skype community.

I can't wait to have Skype in my Nokia 5800!!!!

You lazy ppl here you have skype for iphone:
http://www.skype.com/intl/en/download/skype/iphone/

(it was on main skype page)

AQnd here you can allready download skype 'lite' version for your mobile:

http://www.skype.com/intl/en/download/skype/mobile/choose/pc/

The news is so great!! Cant wait to use skype and finally talk for hours with my friends oversees who havent internet..

Please make 'Lite' version on Nokia 5800 so we can test on touch screen

Hi everyone!
The N97 seems the next step to take. My main question is: Does it have the capability to make video calls?

Well, I have my Nokia N97 now! Where is integrated Skype? There is none...

It was very exciting news! WAS... As artishock74 said: where is the integrated skype on Nokia N97? I have had the phone since July, 10 and there was no Skype on it then, and there is none now. What's even worse is the fact that Skype Lite is not even supported by Nokia N97! Now my question is: is it ever going to happen?

Got my nice new N97 today. No Skype built in. Can't download the lite version either. Can find no news about this. What's going on?

Hi fellow skypers,

While I can see why Nokia is yielding to the pressure from the big telecom not to ship N97 with Skype preinstalled, I can not understand why Skype is following suit! I also think that the EU Commission on Competition should look into the matter because it is a clear case of big corporations practically bullying out a service that is immensely beneficial to the members of the public.

It's nearing the end of the third quarter of 2009, and there's still no Skype for the Nokia N97, which was kind of the entire reason I got the phone. Seems they're having trouble because of the phone companies (like Orange and O2) not wanting Skype preinstalled on the phones. It would be helpful if there was an update on the status of Skype getting on the N97.

I tried skype once on my N97, because Nokia discontinued their native voip client. Skype still wrote their program in java for Nokia and not in Symbian language. The great disappointment is that you won't be able to call trough 3G or wifi, but using your minutes. Third party software offers free skype-to-skype calls, so I will never use this skype software again. Shame on you Skype for excluding some users for really free calling.
(A friend who is an iphone user didn't believe me at first, his iphone skype version did offer free skype-to-skype calls over 3G and wifi)

One of the main reasons I bought the N97 was that I was informed through the skype site that a full version of Skype would be included by the beggining of the 3th quarter of 2009.
What is happening?
Why there is none responding to our justified questions?
Why are we beeing ignored by a company we also helped it to get a grate name in the market?

I am also very disappointed that we are now entering the 4th quarter, and still have had no official update from Skype as to the progress (or lack of) on an integrated Skype and N97, which was promised at the beginning of the 3rd quarter.
As many previous posters have said, I was very excited by the announcement in February, and this was one of the main factors which influenced my decision to purchase a N97. It beggars belief, that 2 very prominant 'Communication' giants such as Skype & Nokia fail to communicate with their loyal user base. Even news of a delay or cancellation, while disappointing, would be better than no news at all.

I am very disappointed by the lack of information regarding this matter.. it seems I chose the N97 over the iPhone and I have made a mistake.. please release Skype for n97 as previously promised! It is now past the 3rd Quarter???

I brought NOKIA N97 for the purpose of using SKYPE, I'm very disappointed on this basis.

I am very disappointed that we are now entering the 4th quarter, and still have had no update from Skype as to the progress, I need to know what happen, because I purchased mi nokia n97 but, please let me know what happend.thanks

C'mon Skype...are so many N97 users out there that are waiting for what you promised to become reality...so can you please let us know at least if it will ever be released or you are going to ditch the idea all together? It will be nice to give us a more realistic date, not like when you promised back in February that it will be the third quarter and we have just entered the fourth quarter of the yr and nothing not even a word from either Skype or Nokia. Thanks

I am one of the users that is still waiting to have skype on my N97. Will it be soon? Thanks

I want the Symbain OS skype for I need to set up a VPN at work to get internet acces on Wifi, and therefore i need an open platform that has a VPN client. Also if it could be possible if the phone switches to skype on Wifi connection, and to sim where there is no connection, don't expect skype over 3G, providers won't like that. I would put in a Option auto switcher for not everybody like their phone to do this automatic.

Altow promised at the end of 2009, it will again take some time to apear here in Belgium, anyways I want one!!

Am very disappointed too.... Thot of switching to iphone but came to know that existing N97 owners will be able to get Skype functionality through a firmware update. I went all the trouble to backup my data, upgrade the software, restore back the data and realise that the Skype function is not there. Would appreciate if Skype or Nokia can give us an update on this issue.

Hi guys, I really happy for this news, I'm waiting for good news about skype application for my Nokia N97.. thank you so much for your work!! ciaooo

I purchased the N97 as soon as it came out ONLY because SKYPE was supposed to be intergrated. I paid $699.00 for the phone, because of SKYPE. I was very surprised that SKYPE was not there upon receipt of the phone! I went to SKYPE web site numerous times only to find that there is no SKYPE for the N97 even now almost 5 months later, and almost a year after the various press releases and advertisements for the N97 that made me buy the N97. I admit the phone is great, but I only bought it for SKYPE, and at this point, I must come to the conclusion that it was false advertising. I contacted Nokia, and they said they are not responsible for Skype software, I did try Numbuzz and Frig, but they do not work well. Will there EVER be a program for N97?????

I also bought the N97 in August because of the Skype facility which I use a lot for work and socially. Come on Skype guys, where's our Skype mobile software for the N97???? You quoted "by the third quarter of 2009" Derrrrr???

yeaaah where is skype guys you promised us???? the year is almost over and i feel as if i am ripped i bought the n97 for skype.

i can use third party applications and get skype, i used to do that on my old phone and i am doing that for now on the n97 but its a shame skype itself doesn't make an application for voip for phones really disappointed from you.

What is the problem? Can some of us at least be beta testers??? Where's my Skype?

Wednesday November 18th, and still no clue what is going on with Skype @ N97. Are Skype people monitoring this blog? If yes,do they have anything meaningful to say?

Cheers,
akuev1

where is my skype application ????
i can not believe that N-97 does not have skype till now !!!! whyyyy
i bought this mobile when i heard that skype will be built in program
somebody till me a reason i'm in the middle east - kuwait, and i have to make an international calls and it's very expensive
i think that this our right to have skype on our n97 such as i have subscribed from three years

These guys don't give a royal crap about us N97 users. They have our money, albeit thru lies and deception. The fact that the N900, YES the N900 has it built in should prove my last statement to be true. Hey Skype and Nokia!!!! The 3rd quarter is H-I-S-T-O-R-Y!!! Give us what was promised!!!