Now here’s something amazing. French telecoms startup Manifone has launched a service that lets you call Skype contacts directly, from any fixed line or mobile phone, with no Skype account, additional software, PC or handset required. They claim their Mani-Sky VoIP service is a first in the telecommunications industry, and by golly, I think they may be right.
Mani-Sky assigns alias telephone numbers, which they call ‘direct numbers’, to Skype contacts; these can be saved to your phone memory and called the usual way, at the price of a local call. The catch is that it’s only the first three minutes of the call that are free.
Beyond that, the company’s business model kicks in; anyone wishing to place longer calls can opt for a six-month subscription that offers unlimited calls to Skype for $10. The company makes its money on the parts of the calls that are switched between fixed line and IP networks. Manifone is offering Mani-Sky free to all users in the 11 supported countries in Europe and North America for a promotional period.
On the face of it, the service is not all that different from SkypeIn or Jajah.Direct – the primary differentiator is that it opens up Skype, which, let’s face it, is still the market-leading VoIP service, in a way that Skype itself has yet to achieve.
Seems like the (some) phone companies are finally starting to read the signs of the time.
the bigger they are, the more it takes for them to read those signes it seems
It’s completely natural. Small ones develop, big ones acquire. That’s the IT foodchain.
It used to be every home needs a land line.
Now its going to be every home needs the internet
More like every home needs broadband.
Agreed.
Even more like the internet providers neeed every home (as their clients)
J/K, I fully agree.
This would be interesting. Now the phone companies are adapting to VoIP service providers. Good for customers.
This has great potential. But I wonder about the model – for a small fee I have a skype in number that people can call me at from their normal devices as well.
Still, something to monitor for a while.
Yeh I think most serouis skype users have this as well.
It will be interesting to see how they do with this model, and how long before skype shuts them off.
Actually Mani-Sky is quite the opposite of Skype-In. It’s me as a caller that can call any Skype user, even those who don’t have a Skype-In number. And for a $10, 6 months flat fee, I can have up to 20 direct numbers to call my Skype contacts (and those numbers I can change to call other Skype users at any time).
The phone companies are going to become like the news papers.
On a different note here is a site i stumbled upon where anything goes http://www.chimein.mobi no filters, nothing. Only limit 140 chracters
Can you explain what you mean by ‘companies are going to become like the news papers’ ?:)
I think he means that they’re forced to adapt, they’re moving online, evolving, and so forth.
No, I think he means that most of them will go bankrupt!
Google Voice is still cheaper for international calls and I’m not sure why would I call someone’s PC (Skype) through land/mobile line. Anyways, thanks for sharing.
Never had a friend who keeps sitting at his PC with his headphones on, music on loud, skype running in the background? IM is often the only way you can reach such people
When you’re on the run, it’s quite useful to have these phone2skype call utilz.
I have few friends in Serbia who works for an international company. They are connected with boss primarly via skype!
Probably that is the most cheaper, because other parts of the company are based in Canada and Russia. Probably the company does not wants to buy Mani-In for each of their employee, and for them this ManiSky would be very good 
I mean, for the bosses 
As I see at official google voice site: “Google Voice is currently open only for GrandCentra”….
Most phone calls are made from mobile (cell) phones. It’s something like 60% of worldwide calls are now made from mobiles. So it seemed quite obvious to us that Mani-Sky had tremendous potential. Up to now, you had to wait to be back in the office or back home to place a Skype call. This is now history. It’s just getting used to it that will take some time.
Mobivox has had this functionality for a long time
I’m geek, that’s no secret
I tried and try every new stuff, and i tried mobivox as well 
and ManiSky too… the main difference is,at mobivox it requires 2 steps to reach the contact… call mobivox, tell who you want to call, and then it rings…
at manisky it is faster, because for each skype contact I have a direct number, which I call from my mobile as every other contacts. no need to change habbits
I clearly see the interest of this: as a company doing business in many different countries, I can be reached on my Skype via local numbers, without having to get a Skype-In number for each country….. as long as the callers know about this service (which may be the real issue)
not to mention if your customers talk to you for more than 3 minutes they will have to pay. I don’t think customers will want to foot a bill just to tlak to their supplier, they would move to the next supplier that has 800 number..
Communication companies are fooling to people by giving free offers in starting but after they charge a lot of.
Isn’t that the same in every industry? IMHO it’s still better than providing no free test at all.
Thanks for your support Andy
We are not planning to charge anything more than a $10 fee for a 6 unlimited subscription to Mani-Sky. Who can say this is exagerated?
Is this post for real? Hopefully, this author will learn how to cover tech news or stop reporting for TC. And what’s a “France telecoms startup”? Meh, very weak post. Boo!
you’re welcome to do better if you can
Gizmo5 previously offered a service that does this and more. It’s called OpenSky and you can read about it at: http://www.gizmo5.com/opensky
It gives every Skype user a SIP address.
It lets users call any Skype user from any mobile phone by sending a text message.
They offer free calls for up to 5 minutes and longer calls require a $20 annual fee.
OpenSky also works great with Google’s Voice service so those calls can be forwarded to Skype as well.
Manifone seems to have copied some of the features of OpenSky, but it’s not new.
Ah, yeah, I was going to mention this but… yep. Problem is, it’s so expensive, why not just make a Skype account anyway?
And the Google Voice part is nice, but… since Google hasn’t opened it up yet… =/
Isn’t it stupid to pay for an sms (40 eurocents to place an international SMS) to then get a callback (and pay Gizmo5 a per minute fee for the callback) and be connected to the Skype account? This seems way too expensive for me. I prefer paying for a local call, much cheaper.
http://www.iskoot.com/ does this already
Yes, Iskoot is a pretty nice application, but it’s a software that needs to be downloaded to the mobile phone, which makes is more complicated. Iskoot also need a dataplan, and can obviously not be used from a standard fixed line phone.
I’m rather confused now. What’s the big difference between this Manifone thing and SkypeIn? :/
the difference is with Skype-In, it’s the called party that needs to purchase an International number. Manifone gives the caller several international numbers to call any Skype contact.
Thanks for the info. Tested it and the only negative aspect I can see is that ther’s no way to check the online status of skype friends.
There is: call him, and if he answers it means he’s available!
so the only question remains (haven’t tested myself) what does the called party see who’s calling? Will they know it’s me?
The called party sees “Manifone” as caller, they don’t know who’s calling.
sorry I was wrong on this one. Actually the called party receives an instant message just before Skype rings that shows the caller ID of the caller with a message that says something like “you are about to receive a call from XXXXXXX (CID)”. So if you recognize the number, you know who’s calling.
I think this is good idea, only problem is, that this service is not available in my country, Serbia
I feel your pain mate, used to live in the ukraine for 2 years…
Why would I pay for a local call to call my Skype contacts if I can call them for free from my computer? This doesn’t make sense to me.
I assume, the difference is, that you can call your skype buddies with your mobile phone, from anywhere
while traveling, etc… without internet. If I get this ManiSky thing correctly.
You got it!
Great post, things seem to be moving in the traditional telecom industry. They are finally taking voip seriously
Yep, it was about time…
JetNumbers provides a cheaper SkypeIn than Skype, and has been providing free SkypeIn plans for almost one year.
They are about to launch a cheaper skypeout as well
Jetnumbers requires a token to sign up, well, I’m not sure it’s the right strategy these days when (nearly) everything has an alternative…
Matter of fact, Google doesn’t have one.
Well it seems like the ManiFone base service is no different than LocalPhone, or Talkster and Rebtel…
They map your Caller ID + local access numbers to dial a specific LD number…
In this case they’ve gone ahead and either deployed their own Skype for Asterisk (http://www.geek-pages.com/articles/asterisk/setting_up_asterisk_to_use_skype.html), bought into the newly released Skype for Asterisk service (http://share.skype.com/sites/en/2008/09/skype_for_asterisk_beta.html) or have a deal with Gizmo for OpenSky (http://www.gizmo5.com/pc/opensky/)
It’s always cool to see the masses become reachable on more than just a phone number
PS. Did you know that any DID mapped to sip:user_at_hotmail.com@msn.gtalk2voip.com will ring your MSN messenger
Now if someone let’s say wanted to try this at home…becoming reachable from worlwide on Skype…and you don’t mind being limited to a 5 minute call then give this a try:
-Get yourself a SipBroker Alias acct.
-Create an alias for SkypeName@opensky.gizmo5.com
-Have your callers dial any of 200+ SipBroker Access numbers around the world and enter the *011xxxxxx alias you created…
-Expect Skype to ring
If you have the patience…and want something with no limits than try this instead http://www.goebel.net/technews/2008/03/free-bridge-from-skype-to-phone.html
Nice response emoci.
Manifone has developed its own Skype gateway. Expect many more new annoucements to come soon regarding global network interconnection using Manifone’s Direct Numbers technology.
I think the question is not if you can bridge the different IM/VOIP services but if you can make it seamless and easy to use. Most services designed by tecchies who like the challange of achieving the impossible. Everyday people like using the usable.
Very true!
As a big Skype user, I (and probably a lot of other users) don’t accept unknown incoming calls. The problem I found with this new service is that when I call a Skype friend through this service, he sees “Manifone” as caller, and often the call is therefore rejected. So in order to use this service efficiently, one has first to tell his friends they have to accept Manifone as caller.
I guess this is not an issue when calling business Skype users as they always accept unknown callers. A nice feature would however be to be able to use this service with my own Skype ID…
You are right saying that this is not an issue when calling businesses because they accept anonymous incoming calls anyways.
Being able to use your own Skype ID on Mani-Sky… hmm… interesting…
Yes, would be very interesting!
This feature should have been added to Skype a long, long time ago!
Skype was meant to be a free PC2PC calling tool and that’s what it does best. Let’s not try to make it into an entire OS.
Yeah, but it doesn’t mean that no development should take place. I think the possibility of adding plugins makes it really useful!
and sometimes quite painful
I wonder if anyone who has commented here has ever come across Skype To Go which has been around for a while and does essentially the same thing…
Olla! Nice job, hope it will soon work in Mexico as well.
I desperately need SkypeIn numbers from Canada, and I figured that I could actually open a ManiSky account from canada and allow a bunch of friends as “authorized callers” to reach me on my canadian ManiSky number. Is there a way to “open” this Canadian ManiSky number and let anyone call it?
Well, I just figured that there is a similar solution to SkypeIn offered by Manifone (Mani-in), but I wonder if I can set a Skype user as destination number?
For the moment it is not possible to set a Skype number as destination of a Mani-In number (international telephone number from 46 countries, 5000 cities). But it will certainly be possible in a near future.
But technically it shouldn’t be a problem, right?
The technical part behind Manifone is nit trivial at all, and proposing what you are saying takes some more development. But we are working on it and should announce good news soon
For the moment it is not possible to set a Skype number as destination of a Mani-In number (international telephone number from 46 countries, 5000 cities).
Thanks, will be monitoring!
You heard it Skype, launch your own Mani-Sky in Mexico and Serbia, and folks will be happy!
That’s right!
Currently Mani-Sky is available in:
Austria
Belgium
Canada
France
Hungary
Greece
Italy
Luxemburg
Netherlands
Spain
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States
Germany would be nice to add.. sorry, i know it’s not a wishlist, but still…
Germany has specific requirements that imply local presence. We’re working on this though.
Wow, this mani-sky video is hilarious
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCv9sBI-oXY
there is nothing funny about that video
Ohh yes, the way it’s meant to be so entertaining (while it’s not) is already funny
Maybe we should comment youtube videos on youtube and not here
I was able to make calls longer than 3 minutes, yay! Wondering how long the promo period is gonna last
the promotional period will last for another few weeks. Ther’s no defined end date for the moment.
I’m already convinced, can recommend it to everyone
any particular reason it’s not listed in skype extras?
We have applied to be listed in Skype extras but our application has been rejested by Skype.
curious… very curious
For a service like this to gain real traction (read as: profitable) users will have to start thinking of their Skype ID (or desktop) as their main – or close to main – phone number for people to reach them at. This will take a change in behavior that I am not sure we have seen yet. Skype remains a tremendous tool for IM and for calls that are prompted by an IM session. (ex: of each 10 business cards you get, how many have their Skype ID listed?). However as an incoming call gateway, I am not sure we are there yet.
Mobivox – as mentioned above – has been enabling users to reach their Skype contacts from any phone (without software) for a few years now. But people seem still intent on calling people’s mobile first when calling from something other than Skype.
That all said, I find this innovative and to be another strong indicator of the position Skype is gaining in our worlds.
Very interesting what you say, and I agree with most of it. I think however, that there is a significant difference between B2B communication and inside business communication. The reason not many business cards have Skype IDs listed is because B2B communication is based on common standards: phones, email, and yes, even faxes that everyone knows how to use, even senior staff. But communication inside a business is being moved to new technologies like Skype, Google Docs, etc. That’s why all these “bridges” between new and old technologies become increasingly important.
… and some of them increasingly overhyped!
most of them actually. But it’s fine, as long as the natural selection continues!
This article needs a little clarification:
“The catch is that it’s only the first three minutes of the call that are free.”
This is not exactly true I believe. It’s suggesting that calls start to get billed once they pass the 3-minute mark, which is not the case. Calls may be cut at 3 minutes and be free – for good. People who don’t like this limitation, can subscribe and place calls of any length. Currently, during the demo period all calls of all lengths are free. Maybe someone can confirm, but this is how I see it.
Yes Arthur you are right, for the moment all calls are free and unlimited in lenght. When we will start charging for the service (in a few weeks from now), then the calls will be automatically cut after 3 minutes. Unless you payed the 6 months subscription. I hope this clarifies this point.
wondering when the first all-in-one IM/VoIP/PSTN softphone/anyphone combo will appear?
Not too soon if apple joins the game and starts to patent every line of code
Apple
LOL, when you can’t send SMS from iphone 
But in this case you pay for local call from mobile to “direct number” and pay monthly fee. There is another way to call from mobile to Skype for free. It’s enough to connect your old mobile and home PC via bluetooth and setup special program (for example, downloaded at http://www.metr.com). Now you can call from your mobile to old mobile (it’s free for family mobile plans) and then to any Skype contact. No fee! You can also forward Skype calls to your mobile absolutely free. Try it – it works nice!
But in this case you pay for local call from mobile to “direct” number, and monthly fee for the service. There is another way to call from mobile to Skype for free. It’s enough to connect your old mobile and home PC via bluetooth and setup special program (for example, downloaded at http://www.metr.com). Now you can call from your mobile to old mobile (it’s free for family mobile plans) and then to any Skype contact. No fee! You can also forward Skype calls to your mobile absolutely free. Try it – it works nice!
This is not exactly true I believe. It’s suggesting that calls start to get billed once they pass the 3-minute mark, which is not the case. Calls may be cut at 3 minutes and be free – for good. People who don’t like this limitation, can subscribe and place calls of any length.i just found this amazing website, it has all kind of businesses from a cleaning companies to estate agents to banks, all I have to do is just type in the business type, and the location and it gives me all the results in that particular area, this website has a huge database of all sorts of businesses, I just joined a driving school which I found on this website. I would recommend this site to all the people out there. it works