Skype has announced a change to its service that will enable anyone to jump in on a chat without requiring a Skype or Microsoft account.
The new tool will make it easy for Skype members to share a unique URL, allowing all invited parties to jump in on the call, regardless of whether they have an account.
The URLs can be shared to places like Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and through email.
Guests will be able to enter their name and then the linked parties can engage in text, voice or video chats without having to download a Skype app for their respective devices.
Those initiating the conversations can do so by clicking the +New button in the newest version of Skype for Windows, Mac and the web. To begin with the feature is only rolling out in the US and the UK.
Those who do have Skype accounts and the apps installed on their phones can click on the links to join on Skype for Android, iPad and iPhone.
See also: Windows 10 review
The roll out will come to the rest of the world in the next couple of weeks, while Skype is enabling URLs to be shared from mobile devices starting soon.
it’s been an important week for Skype, which Microsoft purchased to a tidy $8.5bn sum back in 2011. Universal Skype apps hit the Windows Store, while a new Windows 10 preview offered a peak into Skype’s integration within the all-encompassing Messaging app.
Check out Skype’s new-found ubiquity in the video below and read the company’s blog for the full lowdown.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ojly8VCTLGE
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
