W. David Gardner, TechWeb News, 28-Mar-2006

The VoIP marketplace is getting another major player in the form of Lycos Phone, which is offering a bundle of free features and services, although users will also have to accept some commercials and banner ads.

Announced on Monday, Lycos, a subsidiary of Korea-based Daum Communication, says its new service will offer 100 free minutes of PC-to-landline calls and users will be able to receive free incoming calls originating from landline and mobile phones. And, supported by partner Globe7, Lycos Phone will have a brace of entertainment options including movie trailers and music videos.

"Globe7 has built from the ground up as a standards-based Voice-over-IP system with a wide array of voice call features such as voice mail, and integration with the existing US and international telephone networks," says Alfred Tolle, Lycos' CEO, in a statement.

Like Skype and other VoIP services, Lycos Phone will offer free PC-to-PC calls. Lycos is trying to differentiate itself from other VoIP services through its entertainment features including multimedia support for music and video on demand from both professional and independent sources. The firm cites movie trailers, business news, and sports as other offered features.

Lycos is also offering free fax and voicemail in Lycos Phone. And, a free US phone number can be included in the service. Other VoIP services generally charge for most of those services.