Skype today released a beta version of "Skype for your mobile," a software client for mobile phones that can receive calls from Skype users and make Skype-to-Skype and SkypeOut calls. Additional features include chat, group chat and presence.

The beta version helps Skype gauge the response from users. This phase is expected to last several months, after which a public version of the application will be made available. Skype for your mobile is initially supported in seven markets: Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Additional phones and markets will be added over time.

"These are still the early days for making Skype calls on mobile phones, but we've already made great strides in this space," said Gareth O'Loughlin, general manager, mobile and hardware devices. "While Skype for your mobile is in beta, it is an important time for us to listen to our users' feedback, be it through surveys or user forums."

For Skype for your mobile download instructions, visit http://www.skype.com/go/mobiledownload .