SIPphone, Inc., developers of the free Gizmo Project Internet calling and IM software, and Six Apart, Ltd., the world leader in blogging software and services, today announced a partnership introducing to Six Apart’s LiveJournal users a preferred voice and instant messaging client optimized for use with LJ Talk, LiveJournal’s just-announced instant messaging and voice service. The co-branded "Gizmo Project for LJ Talk" software will enable LiveJournal friends to call each other for free, send instant messages and see each other’s online presence (available, away or offline). LiveJournal is one of the web’s largest online communities, organized around personal journals, social networks and interest-based groups.

Using the free Gizmo Project for LJ Talk voice and IM software, LiveJournal users will be able to make calls and instant message contacts from their LiveJournal Friends list, making it easier to stay in contact. Their existing Friends list will be automatically available to users when they log in to the software using standard LiveJournal account information, and new contacts can be added easily. All calls between LiveJournal users using the software will be free and LiveJournal users will be able to take advantage of the same promotional calling plans that regular Gizmo Project users enjoy.

"We’re pleased to be working with Six Apart and LiveJournal, which will be the first major online community to extend real-time communication features like voice and IM to every one of its millions of members," said Jason Droege, President of SIPphone. "Because these features are based on the robust open standards of SIP and Jabber, LiveJournal users will always be able to communicate with the largest number of people around the world, including LiveJournal friends, other Gizmo Project users, or people that might be using other private-label Gizmo Project versions," Droege concluded.

LiveJournal users who use Gizmo Project for LJ Talk can easily access the following key features:

* High-quality free voice calls to people using Gizmo Project for LJ Talk as well as any other versions of Gizmo Project
* Instant messaging between LiveJournal friends, other Gizmo Project users, Google Talk users, or people using any other Jabber-based IM network worldwide. Allows users and their friends to have real-time written communications that can later be incorporated into journals
* Presence detection which allows users to see who is online
* Ultra low-cost calls to landline or mobile phones around the world
* Free conference calls among friends, which can be scheduled and moderated by Gizmo Project for LJ Talk users
* Free "Call me" and "IM" buttons on journal pages to initiate calls and instant messages from the web
* Point and click "voice posts", which allows Gizmo Project for LJ Talk users worldwide to easily post audio recordings (podcasts) on their Livejournal pages
* Real-time maps of caller locations, and more

Gizmo Project for LJ Talk is an outgrowth of Gizmo Project’s new partner program designed to create and distribute custom-branded voice and IM software, or "softphones." The software delivers free VoIP calls, instant messaging and dozens of other advanced features, and can be used to reinforce a partners’ own brand with a frequently-used product. Customization services are provided by SIPphone and projects from start-to-finish can be completed in about a month. Localized versions are available and co-branding of web content associated with the softphone and service can further improve the experience.

The free Gizmo Project for LJ Talk software for Windows, Macintosh and Linux lets users make crystal-clear free calls using the Internet and is expected to be available for free from the LiveJournal site in August. As easy to use as an Instant Messenger, Gizmo Project for LJ Talk also offers such features as free voicemail, free conference calling, complete call history, instant messaging, and free calling to millions of people on SIP-based networks, the most popular open standard protocol for VoIP communications.