Intel Capital is the lead investor in a $20m funding round for Jajah, the internet telephony software firm. Intel is pumping in $15m to help Jajah in its goal to supplant Skype as the mass-market VoIP provider of choice, the company said today.

Jajah uses PCs for internet phone calls - but only to set up the calls. It then connects two landline or mobile phones together to chat over the IP network.

Intel will promote Jajah through its OEMs and developers, and it will license 16 PC telephony patents to the company. Which is nice. Jajah thinks so too. On the company blog today, co-founder Roman Scharf writes. "The deeper Jajah can be embedded into Intel solutions, the better for customers everywhere. It is our intention to bring a best-of-class, next generation solution to the market which can be embedded and optimized for any computing device."

Intel Capital is not usually a lead investor. It likes to take a back seat in funding rounds and is particularly interested in promoting companies that design apps or products that will encourage customers to buy more expensive PCs with bigger chips.

The company announced its investment in Jajah today at its Annual CEO Summit, in Carlsbad, California. It also revealed stake-building in five other companies. Press release here. ®