SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The holidays can prove a costly time for people to chat with long distance relatives and friends living abroad. However, NETGEAR(R)'s pioneering Skype(TM) WiFi Phone (SPH101) enables callers to talk to any other Skype user worldwide for absolutely free with no PC required. NETGEAR, Inc. , a leading provider of technologically advanced, branded networking products, is the first company to announce and ship a mobile device certified to make Skype Internet calling over WiFi without the need for a PC a reality for the more than 136 million registered Skype users across the globe. Predicted by Amazon internationally to be a top ten Christmas gift, a Skype WiFi phone is an ideal present for anyone looking to stay connected with loved ones. Amazon bases its predictions on searches, pre-sales and trends on the website.
"At the outset, we designed NETGEAR's Skype WiFi Phone with the intention of accommodating a shrinking world, one where consumers require simple and affordable communications solutions that will enable them to talk to their friends and family members around the world without complications," said David Henry, director of product marketing for NETGEAR's consumer products. "Our slender, candy bar-style phone is the perfect size to slip into the Christmas stockings of those with whom you want to stay connected."
POPULAR MECHANICS magazine recently honored NETGEAR's Skype WiFi Phone (SPH101) with a 2006 Breakthrough Product Award for its excellence in both innovative design and engineering. Additionally, NETGEAR's groundbreaking Skype WiFi Phone has garnered favorable comments from such leading technology media outlets as eWEEK, Gizmodo and NetworkWorld on the basis of its sound quality, size and design, steady performance, roaming ability between Internet access points, responsive user interface, LCD screen brightness and clarity, and speakerphone functionality.
NETGEAR's Skype WiFi Phone (SPH101) enables customers to call anyone on Skype, anywhere in the world for free, with no PC required - in any home, office, public hotspot, or municipal wireless access point that does not require browser-based authentication. Calls to ordinary landlines and mobile phones are just pennies a minute to anywhere in the world through the SkypeOut service. The phone's intuitive on-screen menu, in clear, vibrant colors, shows saved Skype contacts and their online availability for easy communications, similar to the Skype PC experience. Customers also enjoy outstanding sound quality, easy setup, wireless security through WEP and WPA-PSK, seamless compatibility with 802.11b/g WiFi standards, and software updates without USB cables. NETGEAR's Skype WiFi Phone (SPH101) also offers the Skype Certified(TM) logo, meeting Skype's standards for high quality products with design and technical specifications that greatly enhance the user's experience of Skype.
The NETGEAR Skype WiFi Phone (SPH101) is available via NETGEAR, Skype and multiple leading online retailers, including Amazon.
NOTE: The NETGEAR Skype WiFi Phone (SPH101) will not function during a power failure or broadband Internet outage. Neither Skype nor the NETGEAR Skype WiFi Phone is a replacement for an ordinary telephone. Emergency calls will need to be made by alternative methods.
About NETGEAR, Inc.
NETGEAR(R) designs technologically advanced, branded networking products that address the specific needs of small and medium business and home users. The Company's product offerings enable users to share Internet access, peripherals, files, digital multimedia content and applications among multiple personal computers and other Internet-enabled devices. NETGEAR is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.netgear.com/ or call (408) 907-8000.
NETGEAR and the NETGEAR Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Information is subject to change without notice. All rights reserved.
Skype, SkypeIn, SkypeOut, Skype Certified, associated logos and the "S" symbol are trademarks of Skype Limited.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for NETGEAR, Inc.:
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Specifically, statements concerning expected performance characteristics, specifications, market acceptance, market growth, specific uses, user feedback and market position of the NETGEAR Skype WiFi Phone (SPH101) and technology are forward- looking statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the following: the Skype service is not offered by NETGEAR and NETGEAR does not guarantee that such service will continue to be available and/or be free of charge; the actual price, performance and ease of use of the NETGEAR Skype WiFi Phone may not meet the price, performance and ease of use requirements of end-users; the performance of NETGEAR's products may be adversely affected by real world network, environmental and operating conditions; the ability of NETGEAR to market and sell its products and technology; the impact and pricing of competing products; and the introduction of alternative technological solutions. Further information on potential risk factors that could affect NETGEAR and its business are detailed in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties listed in the section entitled "Part II - Item 1A. Risk Factors", pages 31 through 40, in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended October 1, 2006, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 13, 2006. NETGEAR undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
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