RadioShack to Sell Skype Kits, Headsets

Internet telephony provider Skype has inked its first retail distribution deal in the United States, with RadioShack agreeing to sell a Skype starter kit and accessories across 3,500 stores. The deal gives Skype much-needed access to consumers and could help the service go mainstream.

RadioShack will setup a special Skype kiosk that showcases wireless headsets from Motorola and Logitech, along with a $129 cordless phone from Linksys. The $5 starter kits will come with an earpiece microphone and 30 minutes of Skype calling to any number in the world.

Skype says the RadioShack deal is only the first of many retail sales agreements it plans to secure. Fellow VoIP provider Vonage has taken a similar tactic to expand its customer base, offering kits with routers in a number of brick-and-mortar stores including Best Buy.

The company hopes its low-cost offering will be attractive to consumers. Because Skype runs on a PC, it doesn't require expensive hardware like Vonage. The service also has a free offering, which has already drawn in tens of million of users.

However, Skype has had a tougher time breaking into the U.S. market than it has in Europe and Asia. The company hopes the RadioShack deal will change all that.

"The RadioShack relationship is really our coming to America," said Skype VP of global marketing Saul Klein. In addition to the kiosks, RadioShack will spotlight Skype-enabled products in its catalogs and customer mailings.

Skype was founded by Kazaa creator Niklas Zennstrom and recently acquired by eBay for up to $4.1 billion. Skype will be used to facilitate communication between eBay's buyers and sellers, as well as being integrated with PayPal.