Microsoft Brings Skype to Your Browser

Skype has become synonymous to calling - free, paid, domestic, or international - whatever it is that you need to make happen, Skype seems to cover all your calling needs. Skype-to-Skype is free, and video calls have revolutionized the way we communicate. The service launched in 2003 and was quickly bought by eBay, and subsequently resold to Microsoft, which made it a primary chat service, eliminating Microsoft Instant Messenger.  

Few users question Skype privacy practices, even after Edward Snowden disclosures. If you are curious, however, try disabling your in-built web camera and see what happens when you launch Skype, or figure out what happens to your account's chat logs if you delete your account. In Windows 8.1, Skype comes pre-installed as a part of Microsoft bundle of programs, irrespective of whether you want it, or not. 

Skype is available for all platforms and all devices - Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Windows Phone, of course. Now, however, you will be able to use Skype directly from your web browser. 

Image: Skype blog.

Skype from browser so far is available to a limited number of subscribers, and if you want to see if your account has access to Beta, you have to log in to your account in your browser and check there. If not, just give it some time because Beta means testing, and Microsoft still has a few bugs to iron out with its new Skype transition. 

For one, the browser version requires you install a plug-in, and supported browsers are the latest versions of Safari, IE, Firefox and Chrome. Microsoft plans to eliminate the plug-in requirement by the time they roll out the web service to users worldwide. 

Also, Mac devices report significant battery drain by the app, and video calls seem to take forever to load. 

What use is in a web version of Skype, you ask? If you are using someone else's computer, like in an Internet bar or library, or simply your room mate's laptop to make a skype call, you may not want to save your log in details there, or have to clean the corresponding folders after you've made that one call. So, you can launch a supported browser, go into incognito mode, which does not 'remember' your log in credentials, make that phone call, or chat, and log out, knowing that the computer will not save your log in, or password, or chat history. 

On the flip side, the move signals how bad Microsoft wants all your data in the cloud. This can also mean that Microsoft may see the future of Skype as a solely browser app. I for one have no doubts your chat history is forever stored on Microsoft's servers, and it won't make much difference if you use your account via a web browser, or not. 

Finally, it may take several months more for Microsoft to make the new web browser version of Skype available to general public, so be patient. It might be a good idea to try and remember that Skype password. 

Source: Skype.