Teleo

Teleo was a peer-to-peer internet telephony (VoIP) network, founded by Wendell Brown, Andy Moeck and Craig Taro Gold. Teleo users could speak to other Teleo users for free, call traditional telephone numbers for a fee, and receive calls from traditional phones.

Teleo was acquired by Microsoft on 31 August 2005.

Teleo provided internet telephony applications that bridged the gap between computer desktops and regular telephones and cell phones. Teleo's software integrated with computer desktops and allowed users to place and receive telephone calls from Microsoft Outlook, Internet Explorer, and other applications. Teleo allowed users to place PC-to-PC calls to other Teleo users anywhere in the world for free, even over wifi connections and behind firewalls. Calls from regular telephones were also offered for free. Calls to regular telephones were "pay as you go" using flexible PSTN minutes with 2¢ per minute calling anywhere in the world. If users wanted to avoid using PSTN minutes, they were encouraged to simply get their friends and business associates to install Teleo, and thus be able to place and receive calls from them for free, no matter where they were in the world.

Teleo was an early competitor to Skype.