Google is expected soon to integration VoIP into its popular gmail email and instant messaging client.

Google has slowly been positioning itself into the VoIP space with a few acquisitions, including most recently of the company Global IP Solutions Corporation (GIPS) that develops technologies that process and deliver voice and video over Internet protocol, namely for service providers and developers to integrate with their platforms.

On May 18, Google acquired GIPS for $68.2-million in an all cash deal that also moved the top employees of GIPS to the Google camp.

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eBay is inching closer to selling it’s popular internet telephony service Skype after reaching an agreement with Joltid and Joost M.V. over patent infringement litigation.

The settlement did not come cheap. Skype founders Niklas Zennstorm and Janus Friis have given up a lot of equity, bringing their total stake in the company to 14-percent, in order for Joltid to drop litigation and to pass all rights to the questioned underlying VoIP technologies to Skype.

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Skype has just released the fairly much-anticipated Skype 2.8 update for Mac. The update includes new features such as screen sharing and Skype Access support. You can download Skype 2.8 and get the complete details over at Skype 2.8 page. You can also check out a preview of Skype 2.8 in action in the video below.

eBay has made it clear that they over paid for Skype and the synergies they were hoping for are just not there.

According to comments made today by eBay CEO Tom Donahoe, he said, “it’s clear that Skype has limited synergies with eBay and PayPal. We believe operating Skype as a stand-alone publicly traded company is the best path…”

According to the company, an IPO will be completed by Q2 2010.

Skype currently has more than 400 million global users, and generated $551 million in total revenue in 2008.

Skype has just launched its new mobile iPhone app allowing people to make free skype-to-skype calls and to also make calls to mobile phones or landlines around the world at cheap rates, essentially allowing people to bypass using their carriers voice services.

The telecoms have now essentially banned the Skype mobile application for the iPhone, or restricted it to only work via WiFi.

Both O2 in the UK and AT&T in the US has just restricted the Skype app on the iPhone to only work via WiFi. Germany has banned the application altogether.

Net Neutrality groups in the US have raised concerns and filed a motion with the FCC to seek an investigation as to whether AT&T has violated any Internet laws.

AT&T maintains it has the sole right to block competitors from accessing its network. It is highly unlikely the telecoms will unblock Skype, in fact, more telecoms might block the service, given consumers can easily use Skype as a perfect substitute to making expensive calls via the wireless providers.

Skype mobile for the iPhone has now launched, and the much-anticipated Skype app for the BlackBerry is coming in May. There are some differences between the two. The BlackBerry will get the Skype Lite version, that will actually support both 3G and WiFi calling over the BlackBerry, the iPhone is currently restricted to calls only over WiFi. However, some other features for the BB will not be present (at least immediately), including file transfer support, and voicemail. Skype for BlackBerry will initially only support the Curve and the Bold.

As part of Skype’s plan for mass integration, the company recently reached a deal with Nokia to have Skype preinstalled on the upcoming Nokia N97 when it ships. Skype’s next plan is to release a version for Palm’s upcoming Pre Web OS powered handset, followed with other standard versions for other platforms.

Skype for the iPhone pictured

eBay’s popular VoIP service Skype has just launched a mobile version of its service for the iPhone. A BlackBerry version will launch by the end of May. It firstly rolled out the iPhone Skype app on Tuesday in Japan (already available in Japan from the time difference) and will also launch tomorrow for everyone else. Reports indicate the sound quality and everything else is great. The apps will be completely free to use and download, but some features such as making calls requires Skype credits.

Internet telephony VoIP company Skype has just announced a new partnership with Nokia to bring Skype preinstalled on the Nokia N97. Skype will also be available on the other N series Nokia handsets. “With more than 400 million Skype users worldwide, the integration of Skype on Nokia Nseries mobile computers is a significant step in bringing converged Internet experiences from the desktop to the world’s most advanced mobile computer,” said Jose-Luis Martinez, Vice President, Nokia Nseries.