Skype makes quick exit from US Ovi Store

Internet telephony player Skype has demonstrated the importance of its newfound relationship with Verizon Wireless, by pulling the Symbian version of its VoIP app from the US Ovi Store.

Just last week, Nokia highlighted the power of consumer brands, by hopping into bed with Skype to make the client available to some 200 million smartphone users worldwide, allowing users to make VoIP calls possible over either a wifi or mobile data connection. The app is downloadable for free from the Ovi Store, but should also work on Symbian devices from other manufacturers, like Sony Ericsson.

However, the app is not available to Ovi Store browsers in the US, presumably because of the recently struck deal between Skype and US carrier Verizon.

From March, US consumers will be able to get Skype on a wide range of Verizon phones, including the BlackBerry Storm 9530, Storm2 9550, Curve 8330, Curve 8530, 8830 World Edition and Tour 9630 smartphones, as well as Droid by Motorola, Eris by HTC and the Motorola Devour.

The service will allow users to make and receive unlimited free Skype-to-Skype voice calls and send and receive instant messages.

Commenting on the announcement at the time, Dario Talmesio, senior analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media, said: “The Skype/Verizon announcement demonstrates that mobile operators are beginning to change their attitude towards VoIP providers, they have gone from blocking to managing what they consider to be an issue. However, the majority of mobile operators have yet to make a firm decision, but market forces are such that mobile operators can’t avoid Internet-based VoIP.”

The Skype app can still be installed and used on Symbian handsets in the US, it’s just not available as a direct download from the Ovi Store.