Everywhere A Skype Skype

You’ve seen the Skype VoIP phones, the Skype mouse phones, and the Skype keyboard phone combos - and possibly wondered when it would stop. Later this month, there’ll be computer motherboards with a Skype-enabled phone jack built right in. What that means is that your regular home phone can become a Skype phone. [IDG/ InfoWorld via 21Talks] There are two motherboards from ASUStek Computer, and both will include a special telecom adapter and 60 SkypeOut minutes. What a briliant idea. Anyone getting a new computer will have built-in support for SkypeIn, SkypeOut, Skype Conference, call waiting, speed-dial, and three-way calls.

ASUStek Computer is also known as ASUS, whose motherboards are quite widely used. ASUStek’s Taiwanese division is said to have received a contract from Apple to manufacture 12 million Apple phones - the fabled iPhone, not to mention a smaller contract for Apple iBooks. This company won over 1700 awards in 2005 - more than 4 per day - so chances are good that they’ll do a good job on these Skype motherboards. Pure play VoIP providers should probably be very afraid.