ICQ Launches Global ICQ Voice Calling Service

July 17, 2006 --ICQ, a world-leading instant messaging service provider owned by AOL, announced the new ICQ Phone service , an Internet- based voice calling service that lets ICQ 5.1 users in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and parts of Asia make calls from PCs to landline and mobile phones around the world. In support of the ICQ Phone service, ICQ has launched the new ICQ 5.1 client, offering users a stylish new design, increased customization and an easier to use interface.

The ICQ® Phone Service

Effective today, ICQ® 5.1 users in countries outside of the United States and Hong Kong can sign up for the ICQ Phone service and begin making PC-to-Phone Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls via a new dialer interface within the ICQ® client at www.icq.com/icqphone. The new service offers one-click dialing, call logging, a phone book as well as account balance display.

"We are committed to helping Internet users stay in touch with friends and family around the world, and are extremely pleased to offer this affordable and flexible voice calling service," said Orey Gilliam, general manager, ICQ. "With just a couple of quick clicks to the ICQ Contact List, our users can make landlines and mobile phones ring around the world."

With the release of ICQ Phone, ICQ is advancing its goal in creating a 'Cross Platform Communication Center' (CPCC) where users can communicate in all forms to all platforms from a single personal communication tool, thereby offering users greater flexibility in their communications with friends and family.

The ICQ Phone service is the latest addition to ICQ's robust suite of voice communications tools. Other PC-to-PC voice features which make up the CPCC strategy include ICQ® Push-to-Talk, a walkie- talkie style voice service, and ICQ® Voice Chat.

To access the new ICQ Phone service, ICQ 5.1 users can visit the Xtraz center under the ICQ® Features category or by simply clicking the new "service button" on the top part of the Contact List. The service is available in English only, but is also accessible via ICQ's foreign language clients, and requires a Windows 98/ME, 2000 or XP operating system.

The ICQ Phone service is supported by a new alliance with deltathree's consumer group, iConnectHere. It leverages exclusive components of the deltathree Outsourced Platform Solution, which integrates deltathree's robust backoffice services with ICQ through custom designed XML (Extensible Markup Language) application programming interfaces (APIs). This strategic relationship lets ICQ Phone users take advantage of an attractive and competitive "pay as you go" pricing plan with no initiation fees and no monthly contracts. Users have the option of paying via major credit card or PayPal.

Calls to the most frequently dialed countries, including the United States, China, Italy, France, Germany, Russia, Canada and Australia are priced at .015 per minute. Specific rate plans can be found by selecting "Your Account," then "Rates" within the new PC-to- Phone service.

The new ICQ Phone service is an integral part of AOL's strategy to provide Internet users around the world with affordable and easy-to- use communications services. It is complimentary to AOL's AIM® Phoneline service (www.aimphoneline.com) a PC-based voice service that provides AIM users in the United States with a free local phone number, unlimited inbound calling and an 'always-on' answering service.

Other features of the new ICQ 5.1 service include:

• ICQ's new tZers, which are short flash animations that jump out of the dialogue area and can be sent through the Message Window.
  
• Two brand new ICQ® skins, including a Girlz and Boyz skin, which feature colorful pictures of a fashionable girl carrying a purse or a 'bad boy' on a skateboard.
  
• Redesigned Emoticons ("Smilies") give messaging a fresh look.
  
• An updated Xtraz panel, which encourages users to personalize the ICQ client using the popular ICQ® Devil Factory to create customized, animated avatars, known as devils. The ICQ Devil Factory lets users create a unique human avatar using technology from Oddcast, Inc. (www.oddcast.com). It allows users to choose from 13 male and female human characters, as well as 10 creature avatars. In addition to choosing clothing, hair, eyes and skin tone, users can use stock verbal sayings such as "I'm Happy" or "Take a Hike."
  

To tour the new features and services, or to download the new ICQ 5.1, Internet users can go to www.icq.com/download.

SOURCE ICQ