Mail.Ru, the leading Web portal in Russia, will use Global IP Solutions' Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology in its Mail.Ru Agent instant messenger application.

"VoIP is a strategic component of Mail.Ru Agent development, which is why it was critical to choose the best VoIP solution provider in the marketplace," said Anna Artamonova, Mail.Ru vice president of marketing. "Our collaboration with GIPS will significantly improve the voice quality of the Mail.Ru Agent for PC-to-PC calls, as well as telephone calls to both landlines and cell phones."

As part of the agreement, GIPS' VoiceEngine will be embedded inside the Mail.Ru Agent, starting with version 5.2 allowing affordable calls to stationary and mobile phones.

"We're thrilled to add Mail.Ru to our list of leading global Internet Service Providers, who see unified communications and point-to-multipoint communications across IP-devices as a strategic benefit for their customer base," said Jan Linden, GIPS's vice president of engineering. "With GIPS VoiceEngine's unique capabilities, such as automated adjustments for echo, noise suppression, and bandwidth constraints, we are confident that Mail.Ru will realize an immediate dramatic improvement in voice quality and overall user experience."