It was recently announced at Mobile World Congress that Skype has finally teamed up with a handset maker (Nokia) to offer the company’s VoIP service pre-installed on new phones. This means a big leap forward for mobile VoIP users, particularly those users who are already familiar with the use of Skype from mobile phones.

For those who aren’t too familiar with mobile VoIP, there are several services out there (some of which are free) which act as third party providers of mobile VoIP services. You set up an account with businesses like Fring or TruPhone and they set you up with a mobile VoIP service on your cell phone. Some of these businesses are already using Skype as the service that they offer.

The new announcement means that these third party providers will no longer be necessary to using Skype on certain phones. These phones will be able to utilize any WiFi and / or 3G capabilities to facilitate Skype calls. The phone will be able to regularly update your contact list (instant message style) so you can see who is online, allowing you to easily make free Skype-to-Skype calls or send Skype-to-Skype messages.

It is notable that Skype is currently the largest VoIP provider online and Nokia is currently the world’s largest handset maker. This means that the deal is … well, a big deal. Mobile VoIP has been lingering in the wings for awhile now and this could be the thing that really pushes it into the spotlight.