14 DAY TRIAL // In addition to extensions, which are supposed to arrive sometime in the next couple of months, Microsoft’s also working on another significant new feature for its Edge browser, which is now offered as the default app in Windows 10 to replace Internet Explorer.
The company will soon make it possible for Edge users to talk to their contacts on Skype without the need for a plugin, making everything faster because not only that the application won’t need add-ons that could slow it down, but it would also be easier for beginners to get in touch with their friends and family because nothing would need to be installed.
The software giant today announced that Object RTC API preview is integrated into Windows 10 insider preview builds, with the company planning to release it in final form later this year.
Skype for business to get it too
This means that users of Skype for Web and Skype for Outlook.com would be able to chat with contacts from Edge without the need for plugins, with the same functionality to be added to Skype for Business at a later time.
“We are proud to be one of the first to use these ORTC APIs in the Edge Browser. The ORTC APIs will enable us to develop advanced real-time communications scenarios – like group video calls with participants all on different browsers and operating systems – using features like Simulcast and Scalable Video Coding (SVC), all while preserving the ability to easily interop with existing telephony networks,” Microsoft says.
Edge is expected to get a plethora of improvements in the coming months, with an important update scheduled to be released either in October or November. An ETA is not yet available, but it’s believed that Microsoft is planning to bring more Edge improvements out together with the first major Windows 10 update, which according to people close to the matter, should also be released around the same date.
Edge is offered as a universal app that works across a wide array of devices, including not only PCs and laptops, but also tablets and smartphones.