We all love when executives get on stage and talk about their products as it provides new insights in to their product vision. Tony Bates of the Skype team for Microsoft is on stage at D10 and has said that they are doubling down on Windows 8. While this makes us ponder what they were doing previous to this effort (singling down, half-assing it, casually working?) it should be good news for fans of Skype.
Certainly we expect deep Skype integration in to Windows 8 as Microsoft purchased the company not that long ago. With Skype, Microsoft now has a first-party communication platform built in to the OS and with VOIP on the verge of breaking across to the mobile segment, it is a strategic move that will pay dividends for the long term.
In addition to making silly statements, Bates said Skype has grown significantly since Microsoft acquired the company, going from 170 million to 250 million active users, a healthy leap by any means.
The takeaway from this statement is that Microsoft is dedicated to bringing and embedding Skype in to all of its next generation products. With Windows 8 getting deep ties, we certainly can expect Windows Phone 8 and the next generation Xbox to have close ties to that platform as well.
Source/Image Credit: Joanna Stern , KFC.com
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