Earlier this week, Skype launched a new service called Skype for SIP into beta testing. As its name suggests, the service works by connecting to existing SIP-based PBXs from the SIP gear in Skype's own network. The result is Skype's low international phone rates to this group of customers without any additional investments.  Of course, Skype is still in the midst of evaluating how much it will charge for its new service.

Skype for SIP follows on the heels of Skype for Asterisk, a service launched last fall which integrates Skype's client with the popular open sourced Asterisk PBX. Skype is currently testing its SIP interoperability with IP PBXs such as the open sourced Asterisk, and proprietary models from Avaya, Cisco, Nortel and Shoretel. A full rollout of Skype for SIP is due later this year.

For more on this story:
- check out this article [1] at Network World

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