I’ve arrived at Mobile World Congress and the news has hit about Skype and Verizon teaming up for unlimited calls on Verizon’s smartphone.  I’ll be seeing the Skype folks tomorrow for a briefing, but the news is awesome.

Here is the news (note this was a joint release by both companies):

At the 2010 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Verizon Wireless and Skype today announced a strategic relationship that will bring Skype to Verizon Wireless smartphones in March. The new Skype mobile™ product enhances Verizon Wireless’ smartphones for users who have data plans by offering a new way to call around the globe, while also giving hundreds of millions of Skype users around the world the opportunity to communicate with friends, family and business colleagues in the United States using Verizon Wireless.

The two companies have created an exclusive, easy-to-use Skype mobile offering for 3G smartphones. Verizon Wireless 3G smartphone users with data plans can use Skype mobile to:

• make and receive unlimited Skype-to-Skype voice calls to any Skype user around the globe on America’s most reliable wireless network;
• call international phone numbers at competitive Skype Out calling rates;
• send and receive instant messages to other Skype users; and
• remain always connected with the ability to see friends’ online presence.

Initially, Skype mobile will be available on millions of best-selling Verizon Wireless 3G smartphones with data plans, including the BlackBerry® Storm™ 9530, Storm2™ 9550, Curve™ 8330, Curve™ 8530, 8830 World Edition and Tour™ 9630 smartphones, as well as DROID by Motorola, DROID ERIS™ by HTC and Motorola DEVOUR™.

What This Means

This means that the carriers all realize that voice calling is now taking a back seat to data. More and more users are texting or sharing via applications.  Application innovation and invention is changing the networking and infrastructure game. This has been true for enterprises and now it’s also true for the carriers.

In the “New Network” model infrastructure owners need to understand that there are static elements that have to be dealt with, but the move is toward dynamic application services or data services. The mobile and cloud models are dynamic.  This is why the Juniper Networks recent moves in increasing performance and opening up their network OS software to developers is so important.

Applications are moving to way to fast for networks, carriers, and datacenter folks. This is why voice calling (once the sacred cow for carriers) is now a feature. The emphasis on monetization is on data services.

The mobile and cloud revolution like other revolutions (PC and client/server) is about more freedom and lower cost. This kind of revolution has always been led by the marketplace. Innovation comes from the edge of the network (or organization in the case of enterprises), and carriers (and IT) isn’t leading the change. Developers are proving that it the new application and dynamic services model works and they are the leading indicator in the market – hello app store. There is now a known bottom up consumer behavior that is driving the cultural change. Developers, companies, and carriers are all answering that behavior.

Now hello free calling from Skype. I can’t wait for SkypeTV.

Update:  Andy Abramson has a good writeup on his Angle on Skype Verizon deal – He echos my view as well.  http://andyabramson.blogs.com/voipwatch/2010/02/skype-verizon-and-andy-in-the-news.html