Press Room

Swindon, UK. - HANOVER, GERMANY – CeBIT – March 18 2004 – Plantronics, Inc., the world leader in communications headsets, and Skype Technologies S.A., the global P2P (peer-to-peer) telephony company, today announced a worldwide strategic partnership to provide voice communications solutions for users of Skype’s online telephony services. The companies signed a strategic agreement detailing their shared vision for the advancement of modern telephony solutions. As part of the agreement, Plantronics will be the globally preferred headset provider for Skype, and in the future, a range of Plantronics headsets will be made available bundled with a free trial of Skype’s premium services.

“Plantronics’ global presence and extensive suite of headsets for every market make them a strong partner,” said Niklas Zennström, Skype’s CEO and Co-Founder. “Our software expertise and Plantronics’ audio communications heritage are a powerful combination, enabling users to have superior audio quality while using Skype services. Together we are well-positioned to take advantage of broadband proliferation to deliver free, high-quality Internet telephony to a rapidly expanding worldwide market.”

For more than 40 years, Plantronics has developed lightweight headsets that enhance personal communications and deliver crystal clear audio performance. From the consumer to the mobile professional and the office user, Plantronics has a solution and price point to match their needs. Plantronics brings a large portfolio of advanced voice technologies to the partnership, so Skype users can get the best audio performance from leading edge P2P technology. Plantronics’ DSP and .Audio lines of PC headsets, for example, are ideal for Internet telephony and Voice over IP applications. With its suite of Bluetooth headsets, Plantronics also offers a new dimension of unmatched mobility for any IP access device, such as a PC, PDA or mobile phone that could potentially host converged mobile Skype services.

“PC-based VoIP is really just the beginning for Skype, and the partnership with Plantronics is a big step towards the next level,” said Jon Arnold, VoIP Program Leader for marketing consultancy Frost & Sullivan. “Skype has quickly built a critical mass of users globally around its peer-to-peer free model. Plantronics brings a global distribution channel, a broad offering of mobile communication solutions and the ability to enhance audio quality that will help Skype reach a broader audience. Perhaps more importantly, their headsets enable mobility, dramatically enhancing Skype’s appeal, especially in the enterprise space,” Arnold adds.

Skype technology enables free, superior quality, unlimited worldwide voice calls via broadband, LAN and hot spot wireless IP connections. Skype is the global leader in offering free worldwide calling, a robust user-propagated directory, multi-language selection and expanding services such as global conference calling. Using a Plantronics headset, users can achieve Internet audio performance that rivals or exceeds traditional landline quality. The significant market impact of both companies illustrates the success of their technological innovations. Skype software has been downloaded more than 8 million times by users from more than 165 countries, and last year Plantronics shipped more than 14 million headsets for the mobile, computer, residential, enterprise and contact center markets.

“Skype is changing the communications landscape and is bringing forward a new level of personal connectivity,” stated Ken Kannappan, President and CEO of Plantronics. “Headsets play an important part in this shift, affording new standards of sound quality and mobility that offer tremendous value to Internet telephony users.”

Notes to Editors:

For further information, please contact:
Ed Fleming or Mark Ward
Republic PR
020 7379 5000
edwardf@republicpr.com or mark@republicpr.com

Kat James
Skype user name: katjames
Tel: +44 1273 695422
kat.james@skype.net

About Skype
Skype, the Global P2P Telephony CompanyTM, allows people everywhere to make free, unlimited, superior quality voice calls via its innovative peer-to-peer software. Skype is available in fifteen languages and is the fastest growing voice communications offering worldwide. Since its launch in August 2003, Skype has been downloaded more than 8.2 million times. Skype Technologies S.A. is headquartered in Luxembourg and is growing with personnel in Copenhagen, London, Stockholm, and Tallinn. Skype Technologies is privately held and backed by top-tier international venture capital firms, including Bessemer Venture Partners. www.skype.com

About Plantronics
Plantronics introduced the first lightweight communications headset in 1962 and is recognized as the world leader in communications headsets. A publicly held company with approximately 2,700 employees, Plantronics is the leading provider of headsets to telephone companies and the business community worldwide. Plantronics headsets are also used widely in many Fortune 500 corporations and have been featured in numerous motion pictures and high-profile events, including Neil Armstrong’s historic “One small step for man” transmission from the moon in 1969. Plantronics, Inc., headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, was founded in 1961 and maintains offices in 20 countries. Plantronics products are sold and supported through a worldwide network of authorized Plantronics marketing partners. Information about the company and its products can be found at www.plantronics.com or by calling (800) 544-4660.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed as forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the possibility that: Skype’s software will not perform as anticipated, broadband services may not be available or affordable to all consumers, Plantronics headset solution may not be available or affordable to consumers in all markets, Plantronics and Skype combined offerings do not perform as anticipated, and other risks that are described from time to time in Plantronics Securities and Exchange Commission reports, including but not limited to Plantronics report on Form 10-Q filed on February 6, 2004, and Plantronics’ annual report on Form 10-K filed on June 2, 2003. These filings can be accessed over the Internet at www.sec.gov. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize or any of these assumptions prove incorrect, Plantronics’ results could differ materially from Plantronics’ expectations. Plantronics assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

Plantronics, the logo design, Plantronics and the logo design combined, and .Audio are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The Bluetooth name and the Bluetooth trademarks are owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc, and are used by Plantronics, Inc. under license.