14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft continues work on Skype and the company is now working to bring some modern features on Windows desktop and Mac as part of a testing program that could see both clients getting important updates.
The company hasn't specifically mentioned what exactly it plans to bring on Windows desktop, but it did mention that the UI will be revised in such a way that it will be cleaner and look a bit more modern.
“With this in mind, we recently started testing a refreshed UI on a small portion of Windows desktop users. And soon, some Skype for Mac users will see the new experience, too. The new UI aims to bring a clean and modern look to Skype, providing you with a delightful and coherent experience across all clients,” it says.
The company added that while this is just a test, it will closely analyze the results and decide whether Skype for Windows desktop is ready to get these improvements and thus adopt a modern look across all platforms.
“We’ll be analyzing test results, gathering feedback, and fine-tuning the experience before releasing to our entire user base. Stay tuned for more updates on the effort. At Skype, we are first and foremost focused on the consumer and are always listening to your feedback,” the company explained.
Skype, which was purchased by Microsoft in 2011 for $8.5 billion (6.7 billion euros), has slowly become a critical product for the Redmond-based software giant which recently decided to make the application the default instant messaging solution for Windows 8.1 users.
A Metro version of Skype is already available for users of Microsoft's modern platforms, including Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, and the company keeps improving all versions to make sure that it provides a similar experience across all supported platforms.
The service, on the other hand, has drawn criticism from privacy advocates, especially due to the alleged involvement in government programs supposed to collect user data. Documents that reached the web in the last couple of years indicated that Microsoft worked with US intelligence agencies to provide access to specific Skype accounts which have then been monitored in order to track conversations and save info such as IP address and location.
Microsoft, however, denied every single claim, explaining that it only provided access to user accounts based on court orders, so the intelligence agencies did not receive unlimited access to its servers.