Skype plugs in Plantronics headsets

Electronics maker Plantronics is now the preferred provider of headsets for Skype, a free Internet phone service founded by the creators of Internet file-swapping service Kazaa, it was announced on Thursday. Plantronics will also give away two months of Skype premium services as a way to market its products, the two companies added. Skype intends to launch its first subscription services in the next few months.

The deal is a sign of the growing cooperation between upstart VoIP providers such as Skype and telephone hardware powerhouses such as Plantronics, which is among the leading providers of home and office phone equipment.