EBay will begin its integration of Skype’s voice-over-IP (VoIP) service with its U.S. auction site next week, giving sellers the option to add a “Skype Me” button alongside their product listings, eBay announced on Wednesday.The pilot program will be offered in 14 categories of products, including real estate, cars and trucks, and cameras and camera equipment, the company said.EBay chose categories where it thinks a quick conversation will help sellers to close deals more quickly. They include higher-priced or complex goods, or products involving new technologies that might need explaining.The pilot program will allow eBay to evaluate how the VoIP telephony service is used before it rolls it out across other product categories. The company has said it will offer the Skype feature in other countries too. EBay acquired Skype late last year for about US$2.6 billion.Sellers will be able to add the Skype Me button to their listings starting Monday. It will appear in a new “Ask a seller a question” section. Buyers will be able to click on the button to talk with sellers via Skype’s voice and chat services. The Skype feature will be offered for free, EBay said. It will also appear in the following categories: automotive GPS devices, wired routers, Skype devices, VoIP and Internet telephony devices, diamond solitaire rings, manufacturing and metalworking, beds, basketball cards, silver coins, “Lost in Space” collectibles and radio-controlled toys.Meg Whitman, eBay’s president and chief executive officer, announced the Skype plans Tuesday night at the start of the company’s eBay Live user convention in Las Vegas, a company spokesman said.-James Niccolai, IDG News Service (Paris Bureau)Related Links: eBay, Skype to Unveil New Tie-Ins on Tuesday Google’s GBuy to Give PayPal a Run for Its $ Yahoo, eBay Team Up to Boost Search, Ads eBay’s Keyword Ad System Lets Bloggers Cash InCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content BrandPost Are tech layoffs inevitable, or can your company avoid them? Despite tech industry layoffs, one ITSM company remains committed to growth and expansion of internal teams. The company’s successful endeavor is largely credited to one difference between TOPdesk and other tech organizations. By TOPdesk Mar 30, 2023 6 mins IT Leadership Analysis CIOs must evolve to stave off existential threat to their role With LOB leaders learning tech faster than CIOs gain business-savvy, IT leaders must strengthen advisory skills, build relationships, and embrace strategic transformation before losing out to business counterparts. By Yashvendra Singh Mar 30, 2023 10 mins Roles Opinion 5 ways AI will transform CRM Recent announcements by Microsoft and Salesforce on how they’re ramping up integration of AI tools into their software offerings mark the start of a revolution in the CRM marketplace. By Martin De Saulles Mar 30, 2023 4 mins Channel Sales CRM Systems Artificial Intelligence Interview From CIO to CX SVP, Cisco’s Jacqueline Guichelaar takes a road less travelled By David Binning Mar 29, 2023 7 mins Careers IT Leadership Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe