I'm still catching up on email and voicemail from being away from the office for a week attending Internet Telephony Expo - which by the way was a resounding success. I'll link to some photos in my next blog entry. I don't want to hijack the point of this blog post though, so here's the news I received last night, but was too busy spending time with my wife to blog it. Hey, even geeks have lives too! (no time to comment on this news, though it speaks for itself)

'Skype to SMS' Public Beta Service Launched

London, UK (PRWEB) February 26, 2005 -- Connectotel today announced the launch of the public Beta test of its new 'Skype to SMS' service.

This new service allows Skype users to send SMS text messages from within Skype Chat to any GSM mobile phone user. Marcus Williamson of Connectotel comments:
"We launched our 'SMS to Skype' service just three weeks ago and have been very pleased with the positive feedback from Skype users. Now we are adding the next logical progression: 'Skype to SMS'.

The current private Beta testers have already shown enormous enthusiasm for being able to send SMS text messages from Skype Chat using this new service. Now we are opening up the service to a wider public."

How does it work?
Skype users start a Chat with the Skype user called smsgateway, then type the following from within the Skype Chat window to send a message:

+number message
The message is transmitted to Connectotel's 'Skype to SMS' gateway system and is passed from there to the GSM network.

Availability and Pricing:
'Skype to SMS' is available as a Beta test service for all users of Skype who have been authorized by Connectotel. For information about authorization please see the FAQ here:
http://www.connectotel.com/sms/skypetosmsfaq.html

There is no charge for the SMS messages sent, for the duration of the Beta test. The 'SMS to Skype' Beta test service is available free of charge to all users of Skype.

Connectotel is examining the possibility of providing other gateway services, including, for example, links to and from e-mail, fax and outside data feeds, based on similar technology.

Frequently Asked Questions:
Detailed FAQs for 'Skype to SMS' and 'SMS to Skype' can be found here:
http://www.connectotel.com/sms/skypetosmsfaq.html
and
http://www.connectotel.com/sms/skypefaq.html

About Connectotel:
Connectotel was established in London, UK, in 1996 and is privately held. The company specializes in providing software development and consulting for networks, including LAN, WAN and GSM SMS. Connectotel's M-Mail service, which provides the foundation for 'Skype to SMS' and 'SMS to Skype', has been providing free 'SMS to e-mail' since 1999. More information about Connectotel can be found on the Connectotel website at http://www.connectotel.com/