EQO Brings Skype Calling and Online Buddy Lists to Mobile Devices

The EQO Mobile Internet Phone Service for Skype is a new offering that enables individuals to take their Skype buddy lists with them on their cellular phones. With the EQO Mobile Internet Phone Service, users can access Skype, view presence and availability of their buddies, and initiate and receive Skype calls from their mobile phone.

Using a combination of a J2ME client running on a mobile device and a carrier-grade standards-based signaling network, EQO bridges Skype to the multitude of J2ME-capable mobile phones already in use worldwide. While the company has developed its technology to first work with Skype, EQO intends to extend peer-to-peer communications to mobile devices with other high-profile providers in the near future.

EQO expects its Mobile Internet Phone Service will have particular resonance for young adults and teens worldwide, who increasingly communicate via instant messaging networks and within such communities as Yahoo!, MySpace and LavaLife.

An EQO plugin running on the computer connects the user's Skype account to the mobile phone client via a secure, always-on network. As long as EQO is running on the user's mobile phone and on the computer, and providing Skype is still connected to the Skype network the mobile client will allow remote access to buddy lists and status.

When a call comes through Skype or when the user calls a member of the buddy list through the EQO client the call will be routed through using SkypeOut services.