Internet portal/e-commerce provider Lycos Inc. has partnered with India-based softphone developer Globe7 to introduce a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) application platform that will be downloadable for free and that offers a free U.S. phone number, unlimited free incoming calls and penny-per-minute domestic U.S. calls after a free call allowance. Overseas long distance is cheap,too ? very cheap.

The Waltham, Mass.-based company says its launch of the Lycos Phone is aimed at converting users? desktop and laptop systems into telephony devices, and it seeks to leverage users? multi-task habits that combine voice, instant messaging, video chat, real-time video-on-demand and MP3 player trends.

Lycos Phone users ostensibly can make free calls, PC-to-PC phone calls and video calls; receive unlimited incoming calls from any landline or mobile phone; and get as many as 100 free minutes of PC outbound calling to landline and mobile phones. Lycos also envisions various promotional offers offering additional free minutes; otherwise, minutes are prepaid.

According to Lycos, unlike Skype and other VoIP services, the partnership with Globe7 represents the first VoIP system to bring multimedia support for music and such video-on-demand content as movie trailers, business news, world sports and more, allowing users to search the Web while chatting with buddies. Also, unlike Skype and Yahoo!, Lycos Phone offers a free U.S. phone number (really raising the competitive bar, considering Yahoo! charges $2.49 per month for a U.S. number and Skype In costs $3.16 a month), free fax and free voicemail-to-e-mail capability.

In a prepared statement, Alfred Tolle, CEO of Lycos Inc., also suggested the companies are positioning the partnership toward IP television applications and are broadening the distribution potential of independent content creators throughout the Lycos network. Also in the wings is a new HanMail-brand mail and messaging system being unveiled by Lycos parent Daum Communications Corp. in South Korea.

Globe7?s current softphone product supports the Windows 2000 and XP operating systems, while future versions will run on Mac OS, Palm OS and Pocket PC.

In another VoIP applications development, Chicago-headquartered network system vendor USRobotics today disclosed it is adding Skype capability to its customer-relations activities, essentially allowing subscribers to call its customer-support centers via Skype?s Internet communications software instead of landline telephones.

USRobitics says it seeks not only to leverage a growing method of communication, but also to cut down on the costs associated with incoming support calls. The ability to use Skype in particular can eliminate charges typically associated with European-generated calls. The vendor said users with Skype software can access the calling capability via the support Web site, and its call centers now allow Skype calls to be directed into the queue for handling by available agents.