Intel pitches VoIP card at office-PC users

Computex 2006 Intel has launched its latest bid to encourage computer users to make phone calls via the internet: a slimline PCI card that allows any ordinary handset to be used to make VoIP connections.

The chip giant announced the 600SM PCI Phone Adaptor at Computex 2006 this week. It said the device is primarily pitched at office workers, and the company is likely to pitch the product at OEMs and system builders keen to offer business-oriented desktop PCs based on its upcoming vPro platform. vPro machines are due to ship in the second half of the year.

The 600SM will work out of the box with Skype, Engin, Packet8, Yak and other VoIP service providers, Intel said.

In February this year, Intel and Skype said they had co-operated to implement ten-way voice conferencing in Skype 2.0. At the time, they said the feature was "available exclusively for home and business users with Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology-based laptop PCs, and desktop PCs based on Intel Pentium D processors, Pentium Extreme Edition processors, and the recently introduced Intel Viiv technology" - a claim that quickly got AMD's goat. The Intel rival subpoenaed Skype the following month potentially to supply evidence in its anti-trust legal battle with the chip giant. ®

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