Mark Evans

Ascalade Communications continues to carve out a growing role as one of the leading VoIP hardware makers by striking a deal with Skype to create new products. The first product is a VoIP cordless phone that lets Skppe users access their contact lists, Skype calls, change their online presence and access voicemail away from their computer. “With the exponential growth in the number of Skype users, Ascalade is looking to meet a growing demand for innovative Skype products,” said Edmund Ho, Ascalade's CEO. Ascalade, which went public last year by raising $40-million, struck a deal last August to make a cordless phone called the CIT200 for Cisco (Linksys). Richmond, B.C.-based Ascalade does its manufacturing in Dongguan, China.
Update: Skype is announcing deals with pretty much everyone today at CES in Las Vegas.