According to a Wednesday announcement by Skype, its free Internet-telephony (VoIP) app will henceforth become available through the Nokia Ovi storefront – thus far Nokia users accessed the Skype app for Symbian smartphones by downloading the app either from the Skype Web site or from sites like CNET Download. com.

With the adoption of Skype by Nokia and the availability of the VoIP calling app via the Ovi Store, the over 200 million users of Nokia handsets - like N97, N97 mini, X6, 5800, E72, and E90 - will now be able to make cheap international calls on the go, sans a computer.

While the Skype app for Symbian smartphones will allow calls on Wi-Fi as well as 3G data connections, the calls using the 3G connections will be based on a user’s contract data allowance.

However, users of Nokia Symbian phones can otherwise make free Skype-to-Skype calls or calls to traditional land-line numbers anywhere, at notably lower charges than standard costs.

The free Skype app for Symbian smartphones – essentially ‘Skype for Nokia’ – boasts the new capability of transferring files and integrating with the camera and address book of the handsets; over and above the regular Skype features of basically placing and receiving VoIP calls, as well as support for IM and international SMS.