Skype has launched a new partnership with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide a bespoke, low-bandwith version of the popular video-chat software, to locations serviced by UNHCR aid workers.

Refugee aid workers, on top of dealing with on-the-ground problems, are typically separated from their families for months at a time, sometimes with little notice and few opportunities for communication. This technology is designed to provide a link for aid workers back to their own support groups — their friends and families back home.

Lest the focus rest solely on the UNHCR, Skype will also be hosting a fundraising button where ordinary Skype users can donate money to support computer technology and education for those 43 million refugees who have lost their homes.

The new software has been tested successfully in Iraq, Sudan and Afghanistan and is now available to more than 1,000 staffers stationed in remote locations including Afghanistan, Algeria, Congo, Kyrgyzstan, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Uganda. By the end of 2011, the aim is for Skype to be in at least 80% of UNHCR hardship locations and available to more than 3,000 staff members.

The bespoke edition is a nice move by Skype, which has been criticized for not being reliable. The partnership could help improve its image, while also supporting a great cause through both tailored technology and a dedication to continued fundraising.

How important do you think bespoke technology will be? What do you make of the partnership between Skype and UNHCR and their expansion plans? What could they do better? Let us know in the comments below.