MySpace has agreed to let eBay"s IP telephony damp squib Skype plaster its pages with click-to-call buttons. The two companies are toiling to continue their membership growth after topping the hype curve in 2005. To use the buttons, people will need both a MySpace and a Skype account, so they should both suck in a few more. MySpace already has its own instant messenger, installed by 25 million members, and the deal will see the Skype voice network integrated into the same package.
Skype"s paid-for services like SkypeIn, SkypeOut, and voicemail will be part of the tie-up, with the normal charges applying. Revenue will be shared with MySpace in an undisclosed carve-up. MySpace claims the buttons won"t lead to a rash of unsolicited calling to go with its spam problems. Users who set their profile to private will only be Skype-able by their friends. Most MySpace profiles aren"t private, however.