Presence and IntComm WG

[Candace Holman <>]

Though dual-mode cell and voip device convergence is nothing new, it is 
a little hard to obtain, with many companies promising products that are 
yet to be released or just for home consumer use, such as Motorola's 
Residential Seamless Mobility Gateway for example [1].  EQO has released 
a cell phone plugin "which runs on your computer, connecting your Skype 
user account to your mobile phone" [2]  So a call from your cell to a 
Skype buddy on your buddy list is delivered over regular wireless phone 
services using SkypeOut (PSTN connected Skype calls).  A bit too Rube 
Goldberg-esque [4] for my tastes, but they got the job done.

Interesting points from the CNET article [3]:
* Instead of phone numbers, you use Skype buddy lists, downloaded to 
your cell phone, to contact others
* Your buddy list indicates user "presence" as a device capability, ie 
whether you can call via Skype or cell
* You can place privacy restrictions on your buddy list so you only get 
calls that you really want
* It's not supported on phones that don't run Java J2ME (like Verizon 
wireless service, which uses BREW)
* Eqo says that Skype is just the beginning, and they plan to partner 
with LinkedIn, MySpace, and others

So, are you ready to bite?

Candace Holman


[1] Roam where you want to!  New Motorola Technologies Break the Barrier 
Between Home and Wireless Phone Services:
http://www.motorola.com/mediacenter/news/detail/0,,6258_6213_23,00.html

[2] Understanding EQO:
http://www.eqo.com/download_how.html

[3] Service lets Skype users chat on cell phones: 
http://news.com.com/Service+lets+Skype+users+chat+on+cell+phones/2100-7352_3-6036663.html?tag=nefd.top 


[4] Rube Goldberg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg