Microsoft’s Skype is expanding its borders. If you reside in the UK or US, you can try the all new Skype for Web, but be warned, it’s in its beta phase.
What’s Skype for Web? Well, it’s basically the same old Skype that you know and love, but now you aren’t required to install the client. It works exactly the same, meaning that you can video call someone, and use the chat without a hitch.
Jonathan Watson, Skype Senior product manager has wrote on the official Skype blog the following – ” As we explained at the end of last year, Skype for Web is an important step for Skype as we move towards implementing the technology to make Real-Time Communications (RTC) on the Web a reality.”
Last November Microsoft announced that it was planning to roll out the new software for a select few, and that the team developing the browser plug-in was hard at work. It seems that the project has finally reached the phase were the public can test it.
Just download and install the browser plug-in to use Skype for Web. If you reside in the US, or UK, you just need to login with your Skype credentials, and your contacts will load up in just a few seconds. Watson added that – “[…] whether you usually use Skype on a mobile, tablet, native desktop app or a TV, you’ll see your latest chats are ready to respond to in your browser.”.
In an era where everything, and everyone is moving at lighting speed, having Skype super accessible is a divine gift.
Microsoft is jumping on the trend that Google and Apple have started – integrating everything! If you’ve been using Outlook, you know that Skype is fully integrated, and if you click on the sidebar, you’ll notice your contacts load. You can continue to make calls, and reply to texts – that is, if you’ve paired your Skype account with Outlook.
What’s more interesting though, is the fact that Microsoft’s devs are trying to constantly improve Skype for Web, and in the near future you won’t even need to install the plug-in.
Also, more features will come to the video-calling application. Skype marketing manager Yasmin Khan has stated yesterday that the near real-time Skype Translator app will be added to the Windows Desktop Skype app soon – ” We are targeting the end of summer 2015 for the roll-out to begin.”
The Skype Translator app currently supports four spoken languages – English, Spanish, Italian and Mandarin; and about fifty written ones. Last month, the company has decided to scrap the sign-in requirement, and it usage has increased by 300%. Khan added – ” “We will continue to expand the repertoire of languages as they meet our quality standard.”