Skype Rolls Out New Biz Service

Internet calling company Skype is introducing new software for businesses that lets workers on corporate phone systems make calls using regular office phones instead of computer headsets, the Wall Street Journal reports. Domestic and international calls to cellphones and landlines will start at 2.1 cents a minute, and computer- to-Skype-network calls will be free, as they are in the company's consumer service.

Parent company eBay has been feeling pressure from shareholders who want Skype to make more money or be sold. Last year, it brought in $550 million. Skype is hoping its customer base—405 million users, and many already use it for business—will set it apart from rivals. "If Skype didn't exist, our phone bills would be I'm guessing 50% to 100% higher," a California business owner said.
(More Skype stories.)