Intel invests in Skype competitor Jajah

“Web-based phone-calling company Jajah Inc. has won Intel Corp.’s backing for its bid to blur the distinction between phones and computers, the two companies said Wednesday. Jajah, which has more than 2 million users of its free or low-cost global calling service, said Intel has agreed to marketing, patent and distribution deals with it and Intel’s venture capital arm is leading a $20 million financing round. ‘Computers are becoming phones and phones are becoming computers,’ Jajah Chief Executive Trevor Healy said in an interview. The deal gives Jajah access to Intel’s sales channel of thousands of dealers, personal computer makers and software developers, and could lead to Jajah becoming a desktop icon on PCs later this year, Healy said, although no plans are set… Intel Capital’s undisclosed investment was one of six new investments totaling $31 million it announced Wednesday at its annual CEO Summit in Carlsbad, California. A second strategic Jajah investor will be revealed later. Other investments were in China’s largest social network company, 51.com, and Chinese chip designer Phoenix Microelectronics; two Israeli companies: Aternity, a maker of application management software, and portable computing firm Ceedo, and U.S.-based education network Tutor.com. Intel Capital President Arvind Sodhani said his venture firm invested $1.07 billion in 91 deals during 2006. Jajah was founded by two young Austrian entrepreneurs but relocated to Mountain View, California, in Silicon Valley, at the urging of its original outside investors, Sequoia Capital.”