ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Masahiro Okafuji, President & CEO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) and Skype Technologies S.A. (headquartered in Luxembourg; Tony Bates, CEO; hereinafter “Skype”) today announced that they will expand their business alliance and launch sales of Skype Credit at more than 13,300 Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Ryuichi Isaka, COO; hereinafter “Seven-Eleven”) stores including franchisees in Japan as of June 14, 2011.

As the sole retail distributor for Skype Credit in Japan, ITOCHU is expanding the sales of Skype Credit at brick-and-mortar stores, particularly at convenience stores. Skype Credit is currently available at Family Mart and Lawson. The addition of Seven-Eleven will increase the total share of Skype Credit to be handled by convenience stores in Japan to approximately 70%. This will enable users to enjoy Skype’s paid features more readily.

Seven-Eleven will offer Skype Credit vouchers in five types: 500 yen, 1,000 yen, 2,000 yen, 3,000 yen, and 5,000 yen. These vouchers enable users not only to make low-cost calls to landlines and mobile phones domestically and internationally, but also to purchase a monthly plan or enjoy Group Video Calling. Users can also take advantage of other Skype paid products such as Skype Access, which allows them to access the Internet easily from several thousand WiFi hot spots nationwide.

Shin Iwata, Country Manager for Skype in Japan says, “The expansion of our alliance with ITOCHU has enabled us to increase the sales opportunity for Skype Credit at convenience stores. Our goal is to make Skype Credit more accessible to customers, allowing them to communicate more easily with their loved ones.”

Detailed information on Skype rates:　http://www.skype.com/intl/ja/prices/payg-rates

Nationwide Seven-Eleven store locator:
http://www.sej.co.jp/shop/

About Skype

Skype is a communications software whose purpose is to break down barriers to communication. With an Internet-connected device, families, friends and colleagues can get together for free with messaging, voice and video. At low cost, they can also call landlines or mobiles virtually anywhere in the world. Skype has recently introduced group video, allowing groups of more than two people to do things together whenever they're apart. Founded in 2003 and based in Luxembourg. Skype can be downloaded onto computers, mobile phones and other connected devices for free at http://www.skype.com. You can get news and updates from Skype in the classroom via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SkypeClassroom or Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skypeintheclassroom and from Skype on its blogs.skype.com, 
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skype, or Facebook: http://www.www.facebook.com/skype