A new Remote Wake chipset recently developed by Intel could allow voice over internet protocol (VoIP) users to take calls through their PC at any time, according to a report.

The chipmaker has partnered with VoIP start-up JaJah to enable VoIP phone system users to receive calls even when their computers are in sleep mode, CNET News.com reports.

News of the new chip was broken by the Wall Street Journal earlier this week, with another feature of the technology being the ability to wake PCs up remotely and download content from that computer.

The potential of the chipset can also be harnessed by a number VoIP providers, Intel said.

"The Remote Wake technology is open. There is a software development kit. So there's no reason that other VoIP providers like Skype couldn't use this," commented Joe Van De Water, director of consumer product marketing at Intel.

According to CNET News.com, the chip could give a boost to online video services to allow PCs to download content during off-peak hours, as well as help IT organisations to perform security updates and remote back-up operations outside of normal working hours.