14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just announced that Skype for Outlook.com is now available worldwide and for all users, after the company first introduced the feature for select users in April.
Basically, the new feature allows users to chat with friends and other Skype contacts straight from their inbox, without actually closing the mail account and without the need for downloading and installing the VoIP client.
“With Skype for Outlook.com, you can easily connect with your Skype friends right from your Outlook.com inbox, so you can go from chat or email to a video call with just one click. If you haven’t had a chance to it check out, getting started is easy,” Microsoft explains.
A plugin is, however, required in case you’re planning to use Skype within Outlook.com, with the latest version support Safari on Mac, which means that you can chat with friends no matter if you’re using Windows or Mac OS X.
At the same time, Microsoft has also announced a new set of improvements for the feature, including HD video calling for PC users. Both users need to own HD displays, webcams and broadband Internet to access this feature, the company says.
“We know that face to face conversation brings people closer together, and we are excited to make richer and more engaging connections possible,” the company said.
Redmond guarantees that all the previous issues spotted in the plugin should no longer exist right now, as the company claims that it managed to address all problems with calls continuing to ring even though users pick up when running the Outlook.com plugin and Skype on the desktop at the same time,.
Skype for Outlook.com is clearly a feature that could come in handy to many users out there, especially to those who are running Skype on a regular basis on their computers, including here Windows and Mac devices. Basically, the feature is supposed not only to enhance video chatting on Skype without owning the actual downloadable client, but also boosts Outlook.com’s consumer appeal by implemented a very popular feature that’s not yet available in other similar platforms.
Outlook.com is Microsoft’s big bet in the email market and according to Redmond itself, it’s much better than rival products coming from Google and Yahoo. In fact, Outlook.com was Microsoft’s main weapon in the Scroogled campaign aimed against Google and its alleged unfair practices that involved looking into people’s inboxes to deliver ads.