Skype, Voiceglo say consumers see the light

Start-up Skype announced Wednesday that it has reached the 1 million mark for simultaneous users of its peer-to-peer telephone software.

Meanwhile, Voiceglo--a phone service available wherever there's an Internet connection--said it is approaching 2 million customers.

Such milestones are a sign, to some, that Internet telephony, otherwise known as voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), no longer intimidates consumers. That's an important step if these services, which generally require a broadband connection, are to ever reach a more mainstream audience.

"An average monthly growth rate of 122 percent is an example of how quickly consumers are starting to understand that VoIP is becoming a viable phone alternative," Voiceglo said in a statement.