Yahoo! announced a public beta of its real-time communications suite, Yahoo! Messenger with Voice for Singapore. Yahoo! Messenger with Voice now enables Web-based voice calling capabilities with low rates for making and receiving Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls around the world. People will be able to make PC to Phone calls by using their PC to call a traditional phone or mobile phone in Singapore and to 28 countries, for less than 3 cents per minute.

The new low cost Web-based voice calling capability enhances the suite of communications solutions in Yahoo! Messenger with Voice including text IM, PC to PC calling, e-mail, mobile text messaging, photo sharing and video.

"The Yahoo! Messenger with Voice environment is now a total integrated communications service that helps users stay in touch with friends, family and business acquaintances. In one easy-to-use environment, Yahoo! Messenger with Voice helps users stay connected. Consumers can choose how they want to connect with others – whether it is through text messaging, e-mail, mobile text messaging, PC to PC calling and now, PC to Phone calling," says Reza Behnam, Managing Director for Yahoo! Southeast Asia.

According to Mr Behnam, "For consumers seeking to stay in touch, talking to your computer means you are smart, because you are taking advantage of innovative, easy-to-use technology that is truly affordable. It is a unique combination of features that only Yahoo! Messenger with Voice offers." On the timing of the launch, he says, "It is the holiday season around the world and in Southeast Asia. In this period, Yahoo! knows how important it is to stay connected to friends and family with our cost effective calling features."

Yahoo! also plans to launch Messenger with Voice simultaneously in several other countries, which includes Hong Kong SAR, Denmark, France, Italy and Spain. Singapore is the first country in Southern Asia for Yahoo! to launch the service. The new beta of Yahoo! Messenger with Voice gives people around the world easy and cost effective calling solutions to stay in touch with friends and family. Since mid 2005, Yahoo! Messenger enhanced its popular voice service to allow consumers to easily call anywhere in the world for free, through high-quality, PC to PC calling.

In Singapore, the new enhancements for the Messenger with Voice service include:

Phone Out: People around the world can make exceptionally low cost calls to more than 180 countries from their PC to traditional phones and mobile phones. Calls to the US, Canada and London cost 1.9 cents per minute, while calls to 24 other international countries including China, Hong Kong SAR and Australia cost under 3 cents per minute. Local Singapore calls can be made for 1.9 cents per minute. To simplify worldwide Phone Out calling, prepaid credit plans are available in SGD$15.00 and $40.00 increments.

Contact Search Bar: The new Contact Search Bar provides a fast way to find and quickly connect with friends and family. As people type their friends’ name, Yahoo! ID, phone number, nickname or any other information stored in their contact details, matching results will automatically populate the Contact Search Bar. People then choose how they want to communicate with their friend, whether it is through text IM, voice calling, e-mail or mobile text messaging.

Open Talk: With Open Talk, people can allow their friends to connect to them directly through worldwide PC to PC calling. When Open Talk is turned on, friends will be able to immediately hear all conversations and sounds near the PC. This is a great solution for family members to stay connected while they are at work or sports fans to have on-going interaction during a big game.