Tiscali Press Release - Tiscali launches VoIP Netphone

Transforms your PC into a virtual telephone, fax machine and answer phone service

Tiscali, the internet and broadband company, today announces the launch of Tiscali Netphone, a free Voice over IP (VoIP) service. Developed by Tiscali Lab, Tiscali Netphone enables anyone who downloads the free program to use their PC to make free calls to other PCs, send and receive faxes, text messages and make low cost international and national calls to landlines. Users can also manage their inbound calls by using Tiscali Netphone as an answering service.

Tiscali Netphone is the latest project to emerge from Tiscali Lab, an international virtual technology research and development hub with a task force of 40 experts across Tiscali's five countries. The VoIP service is available to everyone, regardless of their internet provider, and can be downloaded from www.tiscali.co.uk/netphone. Users will benefit from considerably lower call charges than those levied by traditional phone companies and all PC-to-PC calls are free of charge. Calling another Netphone user is as easy as typing in their email address.

Steve Horley, Tiscali UK's managing director of consumer products and marketing, says: "Over nine million homes already have broadband services in the UK and combined with faster speeds, users have become more sophisticated in using their broadband as an integral part of their life. Tiscali's aim is to provide affordable and reliable broadband, and on top of that, value-added services to help you get the most out of your broadband."

Calls to UK landlines are charged at just 1p per minute and UK mobiles are as low as 12p per minute. International calls from 3p per minute including the most popular countries: USA, Australia, France, Germany and Spain.

Cheaper than many standard mobile phone tariffs, Netphone's text message service is quick and easy to use and costs 6p per message sent to any UK mobile phone. Netphone is also a personal fax machine which converts documents into a digital format to be sent to other PCs free or to a fax machine in the UK for 10p per page.

"The number of people looking to benefit from VoIP services is set to go through the roof in the next twelve months," continues Horley: "Netphone brings voice, fax, text messages and voicemail together in one easy to use service. It's never been easier for people to talk for free."