Skype inks deal to have software put on Dell computers
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Dude, you’re getting Skype with your Dell.
The popular Internet phone-calling software will come pre-installed on two of Dell’s newest laptop computers, the companies announced Wednesday.
Analysts said the deal, whose financial terms were not released, was a win for both — it should boost Skype’s subscriber numbers while showcasing Dell as a trend-embracing company, following an 18 percent drop in profits last quarter.
Skype, a free, downloadable software program owned by San Jose-based Web auctioneer eBay, will come bundled with Dell’s new XPS M2010 “portable entertainment PC” and its XPS M1210, a lightweight laptop, which were both unveiled Wednesday. The XPS M2010 sells for $3,500 and the “ultraportable” XPS M1210 is priced at $1,300.
The more Skype can simplify getting people introduced to its program, “the better it’ll be for themselves and their parent company,” said Gartner analyst Lydia Leong. “For Dell, it opens up the possibility that they might want to embed Skype support in other applications. Perhaps like Dell technical support calls over Skype.”
Don Albert, director of business development for Skype in North America said, “We hope there will be new innovations coming out of the partnership,” but would not discuss specifics. A spokeswoman for the Round Rock, Texas, computer maker would not comment on any future collaborations with Skype.
Last week, Google confirmed that it would bundle some of its software, such as the Google Toolbar, on Dell computers as well. Pre-loaded software keeps a person from taking the added step of downloading a program from the Web, an advantage Google was rumored to be willing to pay $1 billion for.
Dell chose Skype to be pre-installed on its new mobile computers because it boasts 100 million subscribers, making it “extremely attractive,” said Dell spokeswoman Anne Camden. “For the No. 1 supplier of notebooks to team up with a leading Internet communication company like Skype, it’s really a good relationship for both.”
Other communications software products, such as Microsoft’s MSN Messenger — which, like Skype, allows computer-to-computer phone calls — have come bundled with personal computers in the past, analysts said.
Both new Dell computers will come equipped with Bluetooth technology, which will allow people to have voice conversations wirelessly, whether over a cellular or Internet connection, as long as they’re close to their computers. Both computers also come with built-in Web cameras that will work with Skype’s video conferencing feature, Camden said.
Several other software programs besides Skype are trying to capitalize on the popularity of Internet phone calling, among them the instant messenger programs made by Microsoft, Yahoo, Google and AOL. Skype and messenger programs by AOL and Yahoo software allow calls to other PC users and to outside phone numbers for free, or a few cents a minute.
