Auction website eBay has announced plans to add the Skype voice over internet protocol (VoIP) service to its online services.
The company acquired Skype in October 2005 for $2.6 billion and now plans to incorporate Skype internet telephony links into its auction pages, making interaction between buyers and sellers easier.
The internet marketplace plans to incorporate Skype initially in the US and has revealed that it has been trialling the new service in five smaller Asian and European markets.
Skype links will initially be restricted to a small set of product categories, such as car sales, diamond rings, metalworking and real estate.
From June 19th, sellers will be able to add a Skype Me button to their item listings and buyers can click on it to ask the seller a question about an item or request more information in real time.
eBay CEO Meg Whitman and eBay North America president Bill Cobb announced the new service at the fifth annual eBay Live conference.
"We believe that Skype will enhance the way that people communicate and trade on eBay, especially in high involvement and high price categories. It will be exciting to watch Skype become a part of our marketplace," Mr Cobb said.