The technology will be deployed by Internet service providers (ISPs) that are registered as valueadded service providers with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

E-number would be rolled out in seven countries including the Philippines.

E-Sky chief executive officer Jonathan Leong said the company is working with governments and telecommunications companies to introduce the revolutionary communications technology.

More countries are aware of the convenience and cost-savings benefits of Internet telephony and are expected to sign deals with the company in the coming months.

These countries are the US, China, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

"Our company provides e-numbers for our customers to make Internet phone calls and access emails at just a fraction of the price," said Leong.

Leong expects E-number to become popular worldwide, within the next five years and E-Sky company is among the few pioneers which started the technology.

An E-number offers immediate savings, competitive global rates, easy calling worldwide and toll-free access via country specific phone numbers.

E-Sky provides solutions for dial-up, broadband, single and multiple user environments, customized packages for businesses, Internet cafes, telemarketing centres and calling card providers.

The company has a research and development centre at San Jose in California.

With the E-number, one could make a phone call by connecting a special mobile adapter to a regular phone or just simply download the softphone dialer and a headset to your PC and you can already start making a call worldwide.

Leong said phone calls from an E-number to another e-number are free and 0.025 cents from an enumber to regular phones. When making phone calls from overseas, the savings are up to 90 per cent.

An E-number is as good as any regular phone or cellular phone numbers, except that it makes phone calls more affordable, said Leong.