Skype has over 300 million users worldwide right now – and with such a large user-base there are alot of devices, connection speeds, needs, and uses to allot for – especially with the launch of Skype for Business which is bringing in enterprise level needs. As such not everyone has the Skype app installed on their phone; and subsequently not everyone is always in an environment where they have Skype setup on a computer or can even install it. However what if you’re one of those users who absolutely lives on Skype. One of those users who you’ll send a text message to and they’ll respond back to you on Skype because they’re that comfortable with it. And suddenly you’re called out to a client’s office for some work and have no way to communicate with your support team back at the office without actually calling them on a real telephone. What do you do?
You use Skype for Web – a web-based version of Skype that officially debuted last year as an invite-only service and has now been opened to all new and existing Skype users in the US and UK. Simply head on over to web.skype.com and you’ll be able to send instant messages, make Skype calls, and make video calls – all within your browser. Quick mention – this will install the Skype Calling extension for your browser which, in the past, has always been a bottleneck when it came to website load times and I’ve always uninstalled it in the past. For those of you running it – let us know in the comments below how it is.
Also I want to mention that Chromebooks currently do not support the Skype for Web plug-in for calling functionality. You can still use instant messaging within Skype for Web however; and I’m sure Skype and Chromebooks will work this out. On regular PC and Mac computers Skype for Web is supported on Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari. Chrome users on Windows are also supported – alas not on Mac – yet.
Announcing the launch, Jonathan Watson, Senior Product Marketing Manager — User Reach & Engagement at Skype, said:
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. But just as importantly, we’re doing it because the hundreds of millions of people that visit Skype.com every month told us they want to call and IM when they visit our website. We know how critical it is for you to get to your conversations — and Skype for Web helps you get connected anytime.