Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger beta has been opened to the general public and features a free voice over IP service, Windows Live Call, reports Matt Mondok in ArsTechnica. Windows Live Call is being provided exclusively by Verizon. Those who call landline phones or cell phones incur a charge of two cents per minute.

Windows Live Call will be available in the U.S and U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands.

Windows Live Messenger also includes video calling and Windows Live Contacts integration across Windows Live Mail and MSN Spaces. Philips and Uniden have introduced new phones specifically for Messenger and Live Call.