Wizzard Software is excited to announce plans to launch WizzTones, a new and easy-to-use software product that is enabled for Skype, the forerunner in free VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) solutions. WizzTones will provide Skype users a simple and convenient way to create, manage and use multiple ringtones for a compelling, personalized communication experience. WizzTones will be available for download in January of 2006.

By downloading WizzTones, Skype users may select a favorite song, a special announcement, a celebrity ringtone, a unique sound effect or create a customized ring tone. From these selections, users can then assign every individual on their Contacts list a distinct and different sound, giving Skype users the freedom to walk away from their computers but still be available to identify and take an important call, or avoid an unwanted one.

"The traditional ringtone market has sprung out of nowhere and turned into a multi-billion dollar business in just a few years," said Chris Spencer, Wizzard Software CEO. "We are thrilled to offer an inexpensive, unique product which lets people assign different ringtones for different callers. It's fun, practical and the first of several new Wizzard products designed for Skype and planned for rollout throughout 2006."

WizzTones offers a number of unique ringtone functions to enhance the Skype experience. The most prominent feature allows users to search for and assign various ringtones offered by and purchased directly from Skype, including popular ringtones and sound effects. Users can also assign a limited number of pre-created ringtones that are included with the WizzTones software.

Another truly one-of-a-kind feature, drawing on Wizzard Software's vast speech industry experience, allows for the creation of customized "talking" alerts using Wizzard's unique online text-to-speech creation process. This feature provides the ability to produce an announcement ringtone, saying anything the user desires, spoken in a computer-generated, life-like male or female voice, in up to 10 different languages. For example, it can say something as simple as "Mom is calling", to a quote from a favorite movie or even an inside joke between the user and the caller. Yet another feature allows users to create ringtones using their own microphone.

Downloaded more than 200 million times in 225 countries and territories, Skype boasts more than 68 million international users, with more than 4 million users online at any given time and over 175,000 new registered users each day.

Ringtone sales are consistently on the rise, generating $4 billion worldwide in 2004, roughly 10 percent of the $32.2 billion worldwide music market. The popularity of ringtones is expected to increase, with The Yankee Group estimating that in the U.S. alone, ring-tone revenue should pass the $1 billion mark in 2007.