Though some of Verizon Wireless' recent actions have pegged them as "stingy" in the user community, today's joint press conference with the carrier and VoIP company Skype may change opinions.

The new partnership between the two companies allows Verizon Wireless customers with select devices to make Skype-to-Skype phone calls around the world, send and receive instant messages, and allow users to see when other contacts are online.  What's more, there's no additional fee required - the feature works over your existing smartphone data plan.  The potential downside?  The application does not work over Wi-Fi, so if you're outside of Verizon's coverage area, you're out of luck.

The application will be available in March, and will be offered for the following devices:

This is exciting news, and more importantly, it's included in your data plan.  Better bang for the buck, if I do say so myself!

Via MobileCrunch