Leveraging a protocol that industry insiders say is emerging as a communications standard among incumbent Internet and cable service providers, a U.S.-owned company whose name is synonymous with video-based communications today launched a beta version of its Web-based solution for businesses.

 

Officials at Luxembourg-based Skype, which is owned by eBay (News - Alert), say their so-called “Skype For SIP” product will allow SIP-based PBX owners to place low-cost calls to fixed and mobile phones around the world, and to receive Skype calls directly into their PBX (News - Alert) system.

 

According to Stefan Oberg, vice president and general manager of Skype (News - Alert) for Business, this is a significant move for Skype and for any communication intensive business around the world.

 

“It effectively combines the obvious cost savings and reach of Skype with its large user base, with the call handling functionality, statistics and integration capabilities of traditional office PBX systems, providing great economical savings and increased productivity for the modern business,” Oberg said.

 

Generally speaking, SIP trunking is a service offered by Internet telephony service providers so that businesses can adopt VoIP using their Internet connection. That way, they can communicate with others who rely on the PSTN, since the enterprise IP-PBX is connected to the service provider’s PSTN gateways over the Internet.

 

Officials at Skype say that businesses can now be reached by a community of more than 405 million Skype registered users through click-to-call from their business Web sites.

 

Here’s how it would work: Calls will be received through an existing office system (at no cost to the customer). Or, businesses can use Skype’s low-cost calling rates when placing calls to landlines and mobiles from devices connected to their PBX systems. They also can buy online Skype numbers (available in more than 20 nations) to receive calls from business contacts and customers who are using traditional fixed lines or mobile phones.

 

As TMC’s Greg Galitzine (News - Alert) writes here, Skype’s move was only a matter of time.

 

“The financial benefits are clear, allowing businesses to connect to over 400 million registered Skype users while offering the features and integration capabilities of traditional office PBX systems,” Galitzine writes.

 

As TMCnet reported from the Internet Telephony Conference & Expo – whose upcoming dates recently were announced – the head Stockholm-based Ingate Systems, a company that develops firewall technology and products that enable SIP communications for the enterprise while maintaining control and security at the network edge, says that SIP trunking is coming off as a “market phenomenon.”

 

“We have been working since 2001 with the SIP development and you know we’re waiting for it to stick,” said Ingate’s chief executive officer, Anders Eriksson. “But more and more, I think the market now is telling us that it’s taking off and that it’s becoming a standard technology.”

  

“All service providers are moving into SIP trunking full-speed,” Eriksson told TMCnet. “Not only the ITSPs but also the big incumbents and cable companies.”

 

With the beta version of Skype For SIP, business users will be able to manage Skype calls using their existing hardware and system applications such as call routing, conferencing, phone menus and voicemail.

 

Go here to apply to participate in the beta program. During the beta period all calls will be charged at standard Skype rates. Further pricing details will be announced when the product is fully launched later this year.

 

According to Rebecca Swensen, a research analyst at IDC (News - Alert), businesses have been waiting for Skype to make a concerted push into the business space for a while.

 

“Connecting to existing standards-based SIP PBXes is a good way for Skype to start doing so,” Swensen said. “It will be interesting to see how large companies change their thinking about the deployment of Skype within the network.”