Skype is developing a VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) software client for Nokia's top-of-the-range N97 smartphone, executives of both companies said Tuesday.

Nokia will load the application onto phones before they ship. It will be integrated into the phone's address book, making it as easy to place a call to a contact's Skype username as to their regular phone number, said Skype Chief Operating Officer Scott Durchslag.

The Skype application will allow users to make voice calls, send instant messages and also to select it as a widget so they can see which of their friends are online, all the time, said Jose-Luis Martinez, Nokia's Vice President for Nseries phones. It will use Wi-Fi or cellular connections, as available.

The N97 runs Nokia's S60 software platform, but the application under development is specific to the N97 and will not initially be available for other S60 phones, Durchslag said.

Skype is still just designing the user interface, and the application code hasn't been written, said Durchslag. He expects to have something ready to demonstrate by June, with the final application ready for release some time in the third quarter.

That makes it likely that Skype will be missing from the first batch of N97 phones. Those will be in stores in June, Nokia Executive Vice President Kai Öistämö said at a Nokia event on Monday.

Including an application for a service like Skype is a good fit with Nokia's design philosophy for the N97.

"What makes it our flagship is the tight integration with services," Öistämö said, pointing to the way the applications on the phone work with Nokia's online navigation, entertainment and e-mail tools.

Skype has already developed applications for other mobile phones. Two are distributed exclusively by 3G (third generation) mobile network operator Three, under the 3 Skypephone brand. A third, the INQ1, is also sold through Three but its developer Inq Mobile hopes to find other operators interested in selling it this year.

On Monday, Skype announced an update to its Windows Mobile application. Version 2.5 is now final, after months in beta, while a new beta version, 3.0, is available with two new features: file transfer, and the ability to send SMS (Short Message Service) text messages at Skype rates abroad or while roaming.

In addition to Windows Mobile version, the forthcoming N97 application and the dedicated Skype phones, mobile Skype is also available as a "lite" version for Android phones and about 100 other Java-enabled mobile phones from LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson. The lite version, still in beta testing, offers only basic Skype features including voice calling, instant messaging and presence notification, and won't work over Wi-Fi connections, making a flat-rate data service indispensable.

For the full featured application on the N97, "We are starting at the high end," said Durchslag, "but you will see it in the mid-tier. Below that it's hard to deliver a good quality experience," he said.

Nevertheless, when it comes to extending Skype calling to low-end phones, "Time is on our side. Processing power will have to move down market," he said.

Like these ads but without the social commentary, these magnets can make a whiteboard full of photos look like a screenshot of Photoshop or Illustrator.

The magnets have the look of CS3 on a Mac, and include a number of contextual windows, palettes, and the all-important menu bar for creating the perfect fake destop. They retail for $65-95 depending on size and number of magnets, and can be found at the designers' website.

Cisco and Dell today announced that they will collaborate to deliver next-generation IT solutions that help customers simplify their data center infrastructure by pooling storage, computing and networking infrastructure resources to more rapidly support business applications in virtual data center environments.The companies expanded their existing global Solution Technology Integrator agreement to include Cisco’s Nexus 5020 data center switching systems as part of the Dell enterprise infrastructure solutions with Dell servers and storage solutions.



According to the agreement, Dell will add Cisco’s Nexus 5020 switches that support both 10 Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) to its Dell PowerEdgeTM server and Dell EqualLogicTM , PowerVaultTM , and Dell/EMCTM storage solutions. The Cisco and Dell combined solutions help customers simplify the management of their next-generation data center with a unified networking fabric that consolidates LAN, SAN and server cluster network environments into a single high speed 10 Gigabit Ethernet fabric that supports protocols such as Fibre Channel, FCoE, and Internet Small Computer Storage Interface (iSCSI).

In addition, Dell has qualified the Catalyst 4900 Top-of-Rack Switches (ToR) for its EqualLogicTM Storage Area Networks (SAN) arrays. The Catalyst 4900 ToR switches are now a supported switching platform for the EqualLogicTM SAN arrays.

“These challenging economic times highlight the importance our customers place on ensuring long term value from their solutions, not just short term benefit. They need maximum value for every dollar they spend and that is what Dell continues to deliver with this expanded Cisco relationship,” said Praveen Asthana, global director of enterprise storage and networking, Dell. “By offering the Cisco data center switching solution with our server and storage solutions, customers can now more easily transition to a unified network fabric and meet their requirements for operational continuity, transport flexibility and scalability. The Dell and Cisco offerings will be very exciting for our customer and partner communities.”


“As part of our unified computing approach, Cisco set out to develop a unified networking fabric for the data center to help IT organizations simplify their cabling infrastructure, reduce the number of required adapters, lower costs, and reduce power consumption and their carbon footprint within their data center,”said Soni Jiandani, vice president of the Marketing, Server Access and Virtualization business unit for Cisco. “By combining the benefits of lossless 10 Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel over Ethernet with Dell’s PowerEdge servers and storage solutions, together we can offer a more end-to-end data center virtualization solution.”

About Cisco

Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO), is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com. Cisco equipment in Europe is supplied by Cisco Systems International BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems, Inc.

About Dell

Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) is helping to change the economics of storage with simple, capable and affordable solutions for organizations of all sizes. For more information, go to www.dell.com/storage. Dell PowerEdge servers are designed and engineered to simplify operations, drive leading-edge performance and deliver business relevant IT solutions at competitive prices. To learn more visit www.dell.com/poweredge.

Manage Software Purchased with Dell PC or Independently in One Convenient Location Dell recently launched the Dell Download Store, the first online software superstore where consumers and small-and-medium-sized businesses can easily download the most popular software titles and manage volume software licensing requirements. The store builds on Dell’s heritage of value, commitment to the environment and direct customer relationships.

The News:

Dell recently launched the Dell Download Store, the first online software superstore where consumers and small-and-medium-sized businesses can easily download the most popular software titles and manage volume software licensing requirements. Top titles from 12 publishers including Intuit, McAfee, Sonic/Roxio and Microsoft are available for immediate download and management at https://downloadstore.dell.com. Initially available in the United States, the Dell Download Store offers an affordable, easy-to-use, environmentally-friendly solution for the software customers’ need to run their businesses and households. Launching in the United Kingdom, France and Germany Jan. 20, 2009, and ultimately available worldwide, the site will evolve to include music, movies and games. New titles are being added weekly. Using a new feature, customers can also use the store to access software titles purchased with select Dell computers. Rather than receiving CDs and literature in the box, customers can visit the Dell Download Store to view software titles purchased with a PC or independently, instantly download software anytime, and re-install software or create back-up disks for future use. This move adds convenience for customers and helps Dell achieve its green-packaging goals.

Why download?

Dell’s software download services save customers 10 percent or more per software title by eliminating packaging and shipping costs. Volume purchases of five licenses or more provides additional savings. In most parts of the developed world, packaging constitutes as much as one-third of the non-industrial solid waste stream according to the EPA. If the $3B1 worth of software titles purchased by U.S. consumers in 2006 were all digitally downloaded, the positive impact on the environment would be significant. Click here for more details on Dell’s global green-packaging strategies. Choice and convenience. Now customers can get the software they want, when and how they want it.

Why Dell Download Store?

The new Dell.com destination gives the almost one million people visiting the site daily added convenience of downloading the software they need in addition to the products and services they already purchase from Dell. The Dell Locker stores software copies and licenses and allows customers to track and manage all software purchases in one, secure location. Especially for businesses or multi-PC households with more than five users, software license management tools save time and money in license purchasing, fulfillment, auditing and renewal. Combined with the Dell Locker, the Download Manager enables downloads to be fast, secure and convenient by allowing customers to stop and start the download process if necessary without losing their work.


Quotes: “Downloading software, music or movies over the Internet is nothing new, but adding the volume software licensing capability for small-and-medium business customers is a big win, said Geoff Surkamer, general manager, Dell Global Digital Distribution. “In today’s environment, companies are looking everywhere to save money and increase efficiency. The Dell Download Store can help them do both.” “Consumers are very accustomed to downloading music and movies online but many are still buying shrink-wrapped software,” said Geoff Surkamer, general manager, Dell Global Digital Distribution. “Now they can buy the software they need at a lower cost and ultimately manage all their software, music and movies in one convenient location.”