Skype has announced a beta version of its calling service for business users.

The new service, called Skype for SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) allows workers to make calls with traditional telephones, instead of a headset hooked up to a computer.

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a protocol that initiates and manages interactive user sessions involving voice, video, instant messaging, and other such multimedia sessions.

A powerful combination of the leading operating system and networking system companies yielded an agreement to develop real-time communication services for the enterprise.

The research and advisory firm IDC says nearly 12 billion instant messages get sent each day.

If you think a web is that weelittle fly-catching thing in the corner of your room, you’ve probably been living in the Himalayas. Today, each and every little Tyke (and his dog), are on the World Wide web. And if you are reading this, then more certainly than your dog’s name (Bruno?), you are conversant with the powers of this blown-up scaffold of computer networks.

Even if you haven’t added voice to your IP network yet, it won’t be long before you encounter the Session Initiation Protocol.