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{{Short description|Telecommunications software service/application}}{{About|the software|the subsidiary company that develops it|Skype Technologies|the enterprise application formerly known as Microsoft Lync|Skype for Business}}{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}

factoids

Videoconferencing, Voice over IP>VoIP and Instant messaging| license = Proprietary softwareweblink|skype.com}}| standard = | AsOf = }}{{Microsoft Skype Division}}Skype ({{IPAc-en|s|k|aɪ|p}}) is a proprietary telecommunications application operated by Skype Technologies, a division of Microsoft, best known for VoIP-based videotelephony, videoconferencing and voice calls. It also has instant messaging, file transfer, debit-based calls to landline and mobile telephones (over traditional telephone networks), and other features. It is available on various desktop, mobile, and video game console platforms.Skype was created by Niklas Zennström, Janus Friis, and four Estonian developers, and first released in August 2003. In September 2005, eBay acquired it for $2.6 billion.NEWS, EBay to buy Skype in $2.6bn deal,weblink BBC News, 2 October 2014, 12 September 2005, In September 2009,WEB,weblink Canada Pension plan buys Skype stake | Toronto Star, Thestar, 2 September 2014, 21 August 2014, Silver Lake, Andreessen Horowitz, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought 65% of Skype for $1.9 billion from eBay, valuing the business at $2.92 billion. In May 2011, Microsoft bought Skype for $8.5 billion and used it to replace their Windows Live Messenger. As of 2011, most of the development team and 44% of all the division's employees were in Tallinn and Tartu, Estonia.WEB,weblink Skype eelistab odavat Eesti tööjõudu, Äripäev, 10 May 2011, 29 September 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110929141050weblink">weblink dead, WEB,weblink Tony Bates Weighs in on Microsoft's Acquisition of Skype – – Skype Blogs, Skype Blogs, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20111015124254weblink">weblink 15 October 2011, NEWS,weblink 10 May 2011, Microsoft confirms takeover of Skype, bbc.com, 6 November 2012, Skype originally featured a hybrid peer-to-peer and client–server system.NEWS, Ferdinand, Von Götzen, 1 December 2014, An interview with Jaan Tallinn, co-founder and author of Skype,weblink Affairs Today, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141207051233weblink">weblink 7 December 2014, It became entirely powered by Microsoft-operated supernodes in May 2012;WEB,weblink Skype replaces P2P supernodes with Linux boxes hosted by Microsoft (updated), May 2012, in 2017, it changed from a peer-to-peer service to a centralized Azure-based service. As of February 2023, it was used by 36 million people each day.WEB, 22 February 2023, The new Bing preview experience arrives on Bing and Edge Mobile apps; introducing Bing now in Skype,weblink 2023-05-21, Official Microsoft Blog, en,

Etymology

The name for the software is derived from "Sky peer-to-peer", which was then abbreviated to "Skyper". However, some of the domain names associated with "Skyper" were already taken.WEB,weblink The World's Hottest VC?,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080109184710weblink">weblink 9 January 2008, dead, Dropping the final "r" left the current title "Skype", for which domain names were available.WEB,weblink Origin of the name/word Skype,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20051104064354weblink">weblink 4 November 2005, dead, 13 August 2010,

History

Skype was founded in 2003 by Niklas Zennström, from Sweden, and Janus Friis, from Denmark.WEB,weblink About Skype: What is Skype?, 28 July 2010, 11 May 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110511000725weblink">weblink dead, The software was created by Estonians Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu, Jaan Tallinn, and Toivo Annus.WEB, Tänavsuu, Toivo, 2018-09-03, "How can they be so good?": The strange story of Skype,weblink 2020-07-21, Ars Technica, en-us, Friis and Annus are credited with the idea of reducing the cost of voice calls by using a P2P protocol like that of Kazaa.WEB, Tänavsuu, Toivo, 2018-09-03, "How can they be so good?": The strange story of Skype,weblink 2020-07-21, Ars Technica, en-us, An early alpha version was created and tested in spring 2003, and the first public beta version was released on 29 August 2003.NEWS, Happy Birthday Skype: Even monkeys use it now,weblink 28 August 2013, Emirates 24/7, 28 August 2013, In June 2005, Skype entered an agreement with Polish web portal Onet.pl for an integrated offering on the Polish market.WEB,weblink Onet and Skype join forces, PMR, 1 October 2014, 6 October 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141006214637weblink">weblink dead, On 12 September 2005, eBay Inc. agreed to acquire Luxembourg-based Skype Technologies SA for approximately US$2.5 billion in up-front cash and eBay stock, plus potential performance-based consideration.WEB,weblink eBay Completes Acquisition of Skype, eBay, 14 October 2005, 8 April 2013, 2 May 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130502202850weblink">weblink dead, On 1 September 2009, eBay announced it was selling 65% of Skype to Silver Lake, Andreessen Horowitz, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board for US$1.9 billion, valuing Skype at US$2.75 billion.WEB,weblink EBay to unload big stake in Skype – Sep. 1, 2009, writer, By David Goldman, CNNMoney.com staff, money.cnn.com, 2018-01-15, On 14 July 2011, Skype partnered with Comcast to bring its video chat service to Comcast subscribers via HDTV sets.Ryan Lawler, GigaOm. "Comcast bringing Skype video chat into the living room {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615101722weblink |date=15 June 2011 }}." 13 June 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2011.On 17 June 2013, Skype released a free video messaging services for Windows, Mac OS, iOS, iPadOS, Android, and BlackBerry.WEB,weblink Skype video messaging officially launches on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android – but not Windows Phone, 17 June 2013, Between 2017 and 2020, Skype collaborated with PayPal to provide a money-send feature, enabling users to transfer funds via the Skype mobile app in the middle of a conversation.WEB, 2017-08-02, Skype and PayPal team up with new Send Money feature {{!, Skype Blog|url=https://blogs.skype.com/news/2017/08/02/skype-and-paypal-team-up-with-new-send-money-feature/|access-date=2019-03-08|website=Skype Blogs|language=en-US}}In 2019, Skype was declared the sixth most-downloaded mobile app of the decade, from 2010 to 2019.WEB, Rayome, Alison DeNisco, Facebook was the most-downloaded app of the decade,weblink 2019-12-18, CNET, en,

Microsoft acquisition

{{multiple image| width = 70| image1 = Skype-icon.svg| caption1 = Skype icon, 2006–2012| image2 = Skype-icon-new.png| caption2 = Skype icon, 2012–2019| align = | direction = | total_width = | alt1 = | image3 = Skype logo (2019–present).svg| caption3 = Skype icon, 2019–present}}On 10 May 2011, Microsoft Corporation acquired Skype Communications, S.à r.l for US$8.5 billion.WEB,weblink Microsoft to acquire Skype, 10 May 2011, 10 May 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110512044223weblink">weblink 12 May 2011, dead, It was incorporated as a division of Microsoft, which acquired all its technologies with the purchase. The acquisition was completed on 13 October 2011.WEB, Toor, Amar, Microsoft finalizes acquisition of Skype, Tony Bates shares his thoughts (video),weblink Engadget, 13 October 2011, 29 January 2019, Microsoft began integrating the Skype service with its own products. Along with taking over the development of existing Skype desktop and mobile apps, it developed a dedicated client app for its then-newly released, touch-focused Windows 8 and Windows RT operating systems, which were made available from Windows Store when the then-new OS launched on 26 October 2012. The following year, it became the default messaging app for Windows 8.1, replacing the Windows 8 Messaging app at the time, and was pre-installed on every device that came with or upgraded to 8.1.WEB,weblink Skype to Come Pre-Installed on Windows 8.1, Albanesius, Chloe, 15 August 2013, PCMAG, en, 5 November 2019, In a month-long transition from 8 to 30 April 2013, Microsoft discontinued two{{Discuss|text=see talk}} of its own products in favor of Skype, including its Windows Live Messenger instant messaging service, although Messenger continued to be available in mainland China until October 2014.WEB,weblink Microsoft: Windows Live Messenger Retiring, Users Moving to Skype on 15 March, Nay, Josh Robert, 9 January 2013, TruTower, 6 February 2013, WEB,weblink Skype news: Messenger shutting down, new Video Messages, and lots of growth, 15 February 2013, LiveSide.net, Kniskern, Kip, 17 February 2013, On 11 November 2014, Microsoft announced that in 2015, its Lync product would be replaced by Skype for Business, combining the features of Lync and the consumer Skype software. Organizations that used it could switch their users between the default Skype for Business interface and the Lync interface.WEB,weblink Switching between the Skype for Business and the Lync client user interfaces, Office Support, Microsoft, 21 February 2016,

Post-acquisition

On 12 August 2013, Skype released the 4.10 update for Apple iPhone and iPad apps that allowed HD quality video for iPhone 5 and fourth-generation iPads.WEB,weblink Skype app for iPhone/iPad updated to HD, 12 August 2013, On 20 November 2014, Microsoft Office's team announced that a new chat powered by Skype would be implemented in their software, enabling users to chat with co-workers in the same document.WEB,weblink Microsoft taps Skype to bring real-time chats to Office Online, Nadier Lopez, 20 November 2014, The Next Web, 24 November 2014, On 15 September 2015, Skype announced the release of Mojis ("a brand new way to express yourself on Skype")—short video clips and GIFs featuring characters from films and TV shows that could be entered into conversations like emoticons. Skype worked with Universal Studios, Disney Muppets, BBC and other studios to enhance the Mojis collection.WEB, Mojis: Express Yourself on Skype-Like Never Before,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150916194852weblink">weblink 16 September 2015, 16 September 2015, Skype Blogs, Later that year, Gurdeep Singh Pall, Corporate Vice President of Skype, announced that Microsoft had acquired the technology from Talko.WEB,weblink Talko comes to Skype, 21 December 2015, In July 2016, Skype introduced an early Alpha version of a new Skype for Linux client, built with WebRTC technology, after several petitions asked Microsoft to continue development for Linux.WEB,weblink Skype for Linux Alpha and calling on Chrome and Chromebooks, 13 July 2016, Skype Blogs, 14 July 2016, WEB,weblink Microsoft Debuts Skype for Linux Alpha, Jones, Luke, 13 July 2016, WinBuzzer, 14 July 2016, In September of that year, Skype updated their iOS app with new features, including an option to call contacts on Skype through Siri voice commands.WEB,weblink Skype for iOS 10 lets you use Siri to make a call and answer calls from your lock screen, VentureBeat, 28 September 2016, 30 September 2016, In October of that year, Microsoft launched Skype for Business for Mac.WEB,weblink Skype for Business launches on Mac, mobile version now lets you give PowerPoint presentations remotely, Paul, Sawers, 27 October 2016, VentureBeat, 29 October 2016, In February 2017, Microsoft announced plans to discontinue its Skype Wi-Fi service globally. The application was delisted, and the service itself became non-functional from 31 March 2017.NEWS,weblink Skype is killing off its WiFi service 31 March to focus on 'core' features, TechCrunch, Lunden, Ingrid, 28 February 2017, 1 March 2017, WEB, Is Skype WiFi being discontinued?,weblink Skype Support, 1 March 2017, On 5 June 2017, Microsoft announced its plans to revamp Skype with similar features to Snapchat, allowing users to share temporary copies of their photos and video files.NEWS,weblink Microsoft Revamps Skype To Be More Like Snapchat, Motek, Moyen, 5 June 2017, Seekingalpha, In late June 2017, Microsoft rolled out their latest update for iOS, incorporating a revamped design and new third-party integrations, with platforms including Gfycat, YouTube, and UpWorthy.NEWS,weblink Skype's Snapchat-inspired makeover puts the camera a swipe away, adds stories, Perez, Sarah, TechCrunch, 2017-10-30, en, It was not well-received, with numerous negative reviews and complaints that the new client broke existing functionality.NEWS,weblink Negative Skype Reviews, Forbes, Chowdhry, Amit, 17 July 2017, 17 July 2017, en, Skype later removed this "makeover". In December 2017, Microsoft added "Skype Interviews", a shared code editing system for those wishing to hold job interviews for programming roles.WEB,weblink Skype adds real-time code editor to interview programmers, 25 December 2017, Linux Edge, WEB,weblink Skype's 6 tips to rock an online interview | Skype, www.skype.com, Microsoft eventually moved the service from a peer-to-peer to a central server based system, and with it adjusted the user interfaces of apps to make text-based messaging more prominent than voice calling. Skype for Windows,WEB,weblink Skype Preview evolves in the latest version of Windows 10, 11 April 2017, Skype blog, Microsoft, 11 April 2017, iOS,WEB, Introducing new ways to express yourself on Skype,weblink 16 February 2017, Skype blog, Microsoft, Android,WEB, Thurrott, Paul, Microsoft Issues First Skype Preview Build on Android, 16 February 2017,weblink Thurrott, MacWEB,weblink Hello, desktops. Meet Skype Preview, 17 August 2017, Skype blog, and LinuxWEB,weblink The Skype Redesign Everyone Hates Is Now Available on Linux, Joey Sneddon, 31 August 2017, OMG! Ubuntu!, all received significant visual overhauls at this time.

Features

Registered users of Skype are identified by a unique Skype ID and may be listed in the Skype directory under a Skype username.WEB, Usernames, aliases, and nicknames â€“ your Skype passport,weblink Skype.com, 27 August 2009, Skype allows these registered users to communicate through both instant messaging and voice chat. Voice chat allows telephone calls between pairs of users and conference calling and uses proprietary audio codec. Skype's text chat client allows group chats, emoticons, storing chat history, and editing of previous messages. Offline messages were implemented in a beta build of version 5 but removed after a few weeks without notification. The usual features familiar to instant messaging users—user profiles, online status indicators, and so on—are also included.The Online Number, a.k.a. SkypeIn, service allows Skype users to receive calls on their computers dialed by conventional phone subscribers to a local Skype phone number; local numbers are available for Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.WEB , A Skype user can have local numbers in any of these countries, with calls to the number charged at the same rate as calls to fixed lines in the country.Skype supports conference calls, video chats, and screen sharing between 25 people at a time for free,WEB,weblink Skype Loves Bringing Groups Together – With FREE Group Video Calling, Snalune, Phillip, 28 April 2014, Skype Blogs, Microsoft, 12 May 2014, which then increased to 50 on 5 April 2019.WEB,weblink Skype launches 50-person video call feature, Brown, Shelby, CNET, en, 2020-04-08, Skype does not provide the ability to call emergency numbers, such as 112 in Europe, 911 in North America, 999 in the UK or 100 in India and Nepal.WEB,weblink Explore Skype’s new features | Skype, www.skype.com, However, as of December 2012, there is limited support for emergency calls in the United Kingdom, Australia, Denmark, and Finland.WEB,weblink Skype Emergency Calling - Skype, www.skype.com, The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has ruled that, for the purposes of section 255 of the Telecommunications Act, Skype is not an "interconnected VoIP provider".WEB,weblink Draft Report from TEITAC Task Force on 255/508 differences, with proposals for TEITAC discussion, 13 July 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100630185419weblink">weblink 30 June 2010, As a result, the U.S. National Emergency Number Association recommends that all VoIP users have an analog line available as a backup.WEB,weblink Frequently Asked Questions, 911VoIP.org, 31 March 2009, In 2019, Skype added an option to blur the background in a video chat interface using AI algorithms purely done using software, despite a depth-sensing camera not being present in most webcams.WEB, Introducing background blur in Skype,weblink 6 February 2019, 8 December 2019, In 2023, Skype added the Bing AI chatbot to the platform for users who had access to the chatbot.WEB, Get social with the new Bing in Skype {{!, Skype Blog |url=https://www.skype.com/en/blogs/2023-02-bing-bot-in-skype/ |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=www.skype.com |language=en}}

Usage and traffic

{{update|section|date=February 2020}}{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="font-size:88%; min-width:60em"!colspan=6| Usage and traffic! Date! Total user accounts(millions)WEB,weblink eBay Inc. reports third quarter 2006 results, 22 April 2008, 25 August 2011,weblink dead, WEB,weblink eBay Inc. reports first quarter 2007 results, 22 April 2008, 25 August 2011,weblink dead, WEB,weblink eBay Inc. reports first quarter 2008 results, 22 April 2008, 15 June 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110615115607weblink">weblink dead, WEB , WEB,weblink Skype facts Q1 2011, 23 April 2009, WEB,weblink Skype fast facts Q4 2008, 20 June 2023, WEB,weblink Skype S.à r.l. SEC filing, 4 March 2011, 26 May 2011, ! Active users, daily use(millions)WEB,weblink Skype users online now, 21 January 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090202083356weblink">weblink 2 February 2009, dead, WEB,weblink WSJ: Microsoft to buy Skype for $7bn. Rest of world: for real?, ArsTechnica, 10 May 2011, 10 May 2011, WEB,weblinkweblink 10 December 2022, subscription, live, Skype's changing traffic growth, Financial Times, 10 May 2011, 10 May 2011, ! Skype to Skype minutes(billions)WEB ! SkypeOut minutes(billions)! Revenue USD(millions)| {{N/a}}| 35| 44| 50| 66| 79| 90| 98| 115| 126| 136| 143| 145| 153| 170| 185| {{dunno}}| 860| {{dunno}}| {{dunno}}| {{dunno}}| {{dunno}}| {{dunno}}| {{dunno}}| {{dunno}}| {{dunno}}| {{dunno}}Users may have more than one account; it is not possible to count users, only accounts.The volume of international traffic routed via Skype is significant. In 2009 it was considered the largest international voice carrier (by minutes of calls).WEB,weblink Skype is largest international voice carrier, says study, Ricknäs, Mikael, 25 March 2009, Network World, IDG News Service, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090328150708weblink">weblink 28 March 2009, {|class="wikitable"!Year!International call market share|2005PUBLISHER=TELEGEOGRAPHY REPORT AND DATABASE ARCHIVE-DATE=24 MARCH 2010 URL-STATUS=DEAD, |2006|4.4%|2008|8%|2009|12%|2010|13%WEB , |2012|33%WEB , |2013|36%WEB , |2014|40%WEB , At the end of 2010, there were over 660 million worldwide users, with over 300 million estimated active each month as of August 2015.WEB, Global social networks by users 2015 {{!, Statistic|url =weblink|website = Statista |access-date = 4 November 2015}} At one point in February 2012, there were 34 million users concurrently online on Skype.WEB,weblink 34 Million People Concurrently Online on Skype, Skype Blogs, 27 February 2012, In January 2011, after the release of video calling on the Skype client for iPhone, Skype reached a record 27 million simultaneous online users.WEB,weblink Skype Hits New Record of 27 Million Simultaneous Users, 11 January 2011, 11 January 2011, This record was broken with 29 million simultaneous online users on 21 February 2011WEB,weblink 29 million people online on Skype, 23 February 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110224074348weblink">weblink 24 February 2011, and again on 28 March 2011 with 30 million online users.WEB,weblink 30 million people online on Skype, 28 March 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110330131020weblink">weblink 30 March 2011, On 25 February 2012, Skype announced that it has over 32 million users for the first time ever.WEB,weblink Skype reaches new milestone with 32 million users, 26 February 2012, 16 March 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120316221326weblink">weblink dead, By 5 March 2012, it had 36 million simultaneous online users,WEB,weblink 35 Million People Concurrently Online on Skype, 8 March 2012, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120308033805weblink">weblink 8 March 2012, and less than a year later, on 21 January 2013, Skype had more than 50 million concurrent users online.WEB,weblink 50 million concurrent users online, 21 January 2013, 25 March 2013, In June 2012, Skype had surpassed 70 million downloads on Android.WEB,weblink More than 70 Million downloads on an Android device, Facebook, 26 June 2012, On 19 July 2012, Microsoft announced that Skype users had logged 115 billion minutes of calls in the quarter, up to 50% since the last quarter.WEB,weblink How's Skype Doing at MSFT? Usage Jumps 50%, Users Logged 115B Minutes of Calls Last Quarter, 19 July 2012, 21 July 2012, On 15 January 2014, TeleGeography estimated that Skype-to-Skype international traffic has gone up to 36% in 2013 to 214 billion minutes.WEB,weblink Skype traffic continues to thrive, 3 September 2014, As of March 2020, Skype was used by 100 million people at least once a month and by 40 million people each day.WEB, 30 March 2020, Microsoft Teams is coming to consumers – but Skype is here to stay,weblink 2020-05-02, TechCrunch, en-US, At end March 2020 there was a 70% increase in the number of daily users from the previous month, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.WEB,weblink Microsoft's Skype sees massive increase in usage as coronavirus spreads, CNET, 30 March 2020, However, Skype also lost a large part of its market share to Zoom.WEB, Zoom's Success During the Pandemic Came at Skype's Expense,weblink 2021-10-10, PCMAG, en,

System and software

Client applications and devices

Windows client

(File:Skype 4.0 screenshot.png|thumb|Skype 4.0 (released 2009).)Multiple different versions of Skype have been released for Windows since its conception. The original line of Skype applications continued from versions 1.0 through 4.0. It has offered a desktop-only program since 2003. Later, a mobile version was created for Windows Phones.In 2012, Skype introduced a new version for Windows 8 similar to the Windows Phone version.WEB , On 7 July 2015, Skype modified the application to direct Windows users to download the desktop version, but it was set to continue working on Windows RT until October 2016.WEB , In November 2015, Skype introduced three new applications, called Messaging, Skype Video, and Phone, intended to provide an integrated Skype experience on Windows 10.WEB , WEB , On 24 March 2016, Skype announced that the integrated applications did not satisfy most users' needs and announced that they and the desktop client would eventually be replaced with a new UWP application,WEB,weblink Skype Universal Windows Platform app Preview for Windows 10 is coming to Windows Insiders, 24 March 2016, Skype Blogs, which was released as a preview version for the Windows 10 Anniversary Update and dubbed as the stable version with the release of the Windows 10 Creators Update.The latest version of Skype for Windows is Skype 11, which is based on the Universal Windows Platform and runs on various Windows 10-related systems, including Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Windows phones, and Microsoft Hololens. Microsoft still offers the older Skype 8, which is Win32-based and runs on all systems from Windows XP (which is otherwise unsupported by Microsoft) to the most recent release of Windows 10.WEB, What are the system requirements for Skype?,weblink Skype Support, Microsoft, 17 February 2018, In late 2017, this version was upgraded to Skype 12.9, in which several features were both removed and added.WEB, About Skype for Desktop Version 12,weblink Skype, Microsoft,

Other desktop clients

• macOS (10.9 or newer)
• Linux (Debian, Debian-based (Ubuntu, etc.), Fedora, openSUSE)

Mobile clients

• iOS
• Android

Skype was previously available on Java mobiles,WEB, Skype runs on feature phones now, sort of,weblink 2023-10-23, GSMArena.com, en-US, Nokia X, Symbian, BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10 devices. In May 2009, a Version 3.0 was available on Windows Mobile 5 to 6.1, and in September 2015, a Version 2.29WEB,weblink Skype updated on Windows 10 Mobile and Windows Phone 8.1 with 'set default' option, Thorp-Lancaster, Dan, 17 September 2015, Windows Central, was available on Windows Phone 8.1; in 2016, Microsoft announced that this would stop working in early 2017 once Skype's transition from peer-to-peer to client-server was complete.WEB,weblink Skype will stop working on Windows Phone 8.1 (and older devices) in early 2017, Chan, Sean, 12 August 2016, 10 November 2021, MSPoweruser,

Other platforms

• The Nokia N800, N810, and N900 Internet tablets, which run Maemo
• The Nokia N9, which runs MeeGo, comes with Skype voice calling and text messaging integrated; however, it lacks video calling.
• Both the Sony Mylo COM-1 and COM-2 models
• The PlayStation Portable Slim and Lite series, though the user needs to purchase a specially designed microphone peripheral. The PSP-3000 has a built-in microphone, which allows communication without the Skype peripheral.WEB,weblink Skype Expands Mobile Strategy at 2008 International CES, 7 January 2008, 27 September 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130927212907weblink">weblink dead, The PSP Go has the ability to use Bluetooth connections with the Skype application, in addition to its built-in microphone.WEB,weblink Playstationlifestyle.net, 24 September 2009, Playstationlifestyle.net, 10 October 2010, Skype for PlayStation Vita may be downloaded via the PlayStation Network in the U.S. It includes the capability to receive incoming calls with the application running in the background.
• The Samsung Smart TV had a Skype app, which could be downloaded for free.WEB,weblink Skype for Samsung Smart TV, 12 February 2013, {{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} It used the built-in camera and microphone for the newer models. Alternatively, a separate mountable Skype camera with built-in speakers and microphones is available to purchase for older models.WEB,weblink Skype camera accessory for Samsung Smart TV, 12 February 2013, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130206020859weblink">weblink 6 February 2013, This functionality has now been disabled, along with any other "TV Based" Skype clients.
• Some devices were made to work with Skype by talking to a desktop Skype client or by embedding Skype software into the device. These were usually either tethered to a PC or had a built-in Wi-Fi client to allow calling from Wi-Fi hotspots, like the Netgear SPH101 Skype Wi-Fi Phone, the SMC WSKP100 Skype Wi-Fi Phone, the Belkin F1PP000GN-SK Wi-Fi Skype Phone, the Panasonic KX-WP1050 Wi-Fi Phone for Skype Executive Travel Set, the IPEVO So-20 Wi-Fi Phone for Skype, and the Linksys CIT200 Wi-Fi Phone.
• 3G Skypephone, created in collaboration between Skype and 3 in 2007WEB, 3G Skypephone to be sold by 3,weblink 2023-10-23, GSMArena.com, en-US,

Third-party licensing

Third-party developers, such as Truphone, Nimbuzz, and Fring, previously allowed Skype to run in parallel with several other competing VoIP/IM networks (Truphone and Nimbuzz provide TruphoneOut and NimbuzzOut as a competing paid service) in any Symbian or Java environment. Nimbuzz made Skype available to BlackBerry users, and Fring provided mobile video calling over Skype as well as support for the Android platform. Skype disabled access to Skype by Fring users in July 2010.WEB,weblink Skype â€“ The Big Blog â€“ Fring's misuse of Skype software was damaging to our brand and reputation, 3 August 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100715075745weblink">weblink 15 July 2010, Nimbuzz discontinued support of Skype on request in October 2010.WEB,weblink What the Skype/Nimbuzz Breakup Means To You, 25 October 2010, 28 October 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101028104713weblink">weblink dead, Before and during the Microsoft acquisition, Skype withdrew licensing from several third parties producing software and hardware compatible with Skype. The Skype for Asterisk product from Digium was withdrawn as "no longer available for sale".WEB,weblink Phone Systems to Power Your Business – Sfa_faq – Digium The Asterisk Company, Digium.com, 4 December 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20111206160048weblink">weblink 6 December 2011, The Senao SN358+ long-range (10–15 km) cordless phone was discontinued due to loss of licenses to participate in the Skype network as peers. In combination, these two products made it possible to create roaming cordless mesh networks with a robust handoff.

Technology

Protocol

Skype uses a proprietary Internet telephony (VoIP) network called the Skype protocol. The protocol has not been made publicly available by Skype, and official applications using the protocol are also proprietary. Part of the Skype technology relies on the Global Index P2P protocol belonging to the Joltid Ltd. corporation. The main difference between Skype and standard VoIP clients is that Skype operates on a peer-to-peer model (originally based on the Kazaa softwareWEB,weblink StreamCast sues Kazaa, Skype: here's my take, Blogs.zdnet.com, 27 March 2006, 31 March 2009, 28 February 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100228002230weblink">weblink dead, ), rather than the more usual client-server model (note that the very popular Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) model of VoIP is also peer-to-peer, but implementation generally requires registration with a server, as does Skype).On 20 June 2014, Microsoft announced the deprecation of the old Skype protocol. Within several months from this date, in order to continue using Skype services, Skype users will have to update to Skype applications released in 2014. The new Skype protocol, Microsoft Notification Protocol 24, was released. The deprecation became effective in the second week of August 2014. Transferred files are now saved on central servers.As far as networking stack support is concerned, Skype only supports the IPv4 protocol. It lacks support for the next-generation Internet protocol, IPv6.WEB,weblink Skype does not support IPv6., Skype official Twitter account, 1 November 2012, 4 November 2012, Skype for Business, however, includes support for IPv6 addresses, along with continued support of IPv4.WEB,weblink Plan for IPv6 in Skype for Business, 21 February 2018, 2018-06-13, Microsoft,

Protocol detection and control

Many networking and security companies have claimed to detect and control Skype's protocol for enterprise and carrier applications. While the specific detection methods used by these companies are often private, Pearson's chi-squared test and naive Bayes classification are two approaches that were published in 2008.WEB,weblink Dario Bonfiglio et al. "Revealing Skype Traffic: When Randomness Plays with You", ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review, Volume 37:4 (SIGCOMM 2007), p. 37-48, Dpacket.org, 30 May 2008, 31 March 2009, dead,weblink 30 April 2011, Combining statistical measurements of payload properties (such as byte frequencies and initial byte sequences) as well as flow properties (like packet sizes and packet directions) has also shown to be an effective method for identifying Skype's TCP- and UDP-based protocols.JOURNAL,weblink Breaking and Improving Protocol Obfuscation, Hjelmvik, Erik, John, Wolfgang, Technical Report, 27 July 2010, 1652-926X,

Audio codecs

Skype 2.x used G.729, Skype 3.2 introduced SVOPC, and Skype 4.0 added a Skype-created codec called (:SILK), intended to be "lightweight and embeddable".WEB,weblink Skype's new super wideband codec, Wirevolution.com, 13 January 2009, 31 March 2009, Additionally, Skype has released Opus as a free codec, which integrates the SILK codec principles for voice transmission with the CELT codec principles for higher-quality audio transmissions, such as live music performances. Opus was submitted to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in September 2010.WEB,weblink Skype and a New Audio Codec, Skype, 12 September 2012, 3 May 2014, Since then, it has been standardized as RFC 6716.WEB,weblink OpusFAQ, Xiph.org Foundation, 22 April 2014, 3 May 2014,

Video codecs

VP7 is used for versions prior to Skype 5.5.WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20071204065709weblink">weblink 4 December 2007, On2 Technologies Codec Offers High Quality Video to Skype, WEB,weblink Skype adds On2 Technologies TrueMotion VP7, 16 November 2007, 9 August 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110818091024weblink">weblink 18 August 2011, WEB,weblink Skype goes VP8, embraces open video codec, 3 August 2011, 9 August 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110813064806weblink">weblink 13 August 2011, WEB,weblink One-to-One VP8 Video Calling Now Supported in Skype, 3 August 2011, 9 August 2011, WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120523181458weblink">weblink 23 May 2012, Skype moves to VP8 for all video calls, The H, 4 August 2011, 9 August 2011, As of version 7.0, H.264 is used for both group and one-on-one video chat, at standard definition, 720p, and 1080p high-definition.WEB, Mau, Jodi,weblink See and Talk to Your Friends on Skype in Full-HD 1080p with the New Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920, Blogs.skype.com, 9 January 2012, 24 February 2012, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120112062616weblink">weblink 12 January 2012, WEB,weblink Reveal the real you with the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920, Blog.Logitech, 5 January 2012, 24 February 2012,

Skype Qik

Skype acquired the video service Qik in 2011. After shutting down Qik in April 2014, Skype relaunched the service as Skype Qik on 14 October 2014. Although Qik offered video conferencing and Internet streaming, the new service focuses on mobile video messaging between individuals and groups.NEWS,weblink Skype Relaunches Qik as Social Video Messaging App, Olivarez-Giles, Nathan, 14 October 2014, The Wall Street Journal, 14 October 2014,

Hyperlink format

Skype uses URIs as skype:USER?call for a call.WEB,weblink Skype URI API reference, Office Dec Center, 30 March 2022, Microsoft,

Security and privacy

Skype was claimed initially to be a secure communication, with one of its early web pages stating "highly secure with end-to-end encryption".WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20040701004241weblink">weblink 1 July 2004, Skype (Wayback Machine Archive), 20 May 2013, Security services were invisible to the user, and encryption cannot be disabled. Skype claims to use publicly documented, widely trusted encryption techniques for Skype-to-Skype communication: RSA for key negotiation and the Advanced Encryption Standard to encrypt conversations.WEB,weblink Does Skype use encryption?, Skype, 25 July 2020, However, it is impossible to verify that these algorithms are used correctly, completely, and at all times, as there is no public review possible without a protocol specification and/or the program's source code. Skype provides an uncontrolled registration system for users with no proof of identity. Instead, users may choose a screen name that does not have to relate to their real-life identity in any way; a name chosen could also be an impersonation attempt, where the user claims to be someone else for fraudulent purposes. A third-party paper analyzing the security and methodology of Skype was presented at Black Hat Europe 2006. It analyzed Skype and found a number of security issues with the then-current security model.WEB,weblink Silver Needle in the Skype, Philippe Biondi and Fabrice Desclaux, blackhat, 2 March 2006, File:Prism-slide-8.jpg|thumb|PRISM: a clandestine surveillance program under which the NSA collects user data from companies like Skype and Facebook.NEWS, Greenwald, Glenn, Glenn Greenwald, MacAskill, Ewen, NSA Prism program taps in to user data of Apple, Google and others, 7 June 2013, The GuardianThe GuardianSkype incorporates some features that tend to hide its traffic, but it is not specifically designed to thwart traffic analysis and therefore does not provide anonymous communication. Some researchers have been able to watermark the traffic so that it is identifiable even after passing through an anonymizing network.WEB,weblink George Mason University, 10 October 2010, In an interview, Kurt Sauer, the Chief Security Officer of Skype, said, "We provide a safe communication option. I will not tell you whether we can listen or not."WEB, ZDNet.de,weblink Telefonieren übers Internet: Wie sicher ist Skype wirklich? â€“ Telekommunikation | Mobile Business, 13 February 2007, ZDNet.de, 31 March 2009, This does not deny the fact that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) monitors Skype conversations. Skype's client uses an undocumented and proprietary protocol. The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is concerned about user privacy issues arising from using proprietary software and protocols and has made a replacement for Skype one of their high-priority projects."FSF High Priority Projects", Free Software Foundation. Retrieved 26 January 2009. Security researchers Biondi and Desclaux have speculated that Skype may have a back door, since Skype sends traffic even when it is turned off and because Skype has taken extreme measures to obfuscate the program's traffic and functioning.WEB, Biondi P., Desclaux F,weblink Silver Needle in the Skype, EADS Corporate Research Center, 2–3 March 2006, 26 January 2009, Several media sources reported that at a meeting about the "Lawful interception of IP based services" held on 25 June 2008, high-ranking unnamed officials at the Austrian interior ministry said that they could listen in on Skype conversations without problems. The Austrian public broadcasting service ORF, citing minutes from the meeting, reported that "the Austrian police are able to listen in on Skype connections". Skype declined to comment on the reports.WEB, Sokolov, David AJ,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100713002734weblink">weblink 13 July 2010, Speculation over back door in Skype, Heise Security UK, 24 July 2008, 26 January 2009, WEB, Leyde, John,weblink Austrian official fuels Skype backdoor rumours, The Register UK, 24 July 2008, 29 January 2009, One easily demonstrated method of monitoring is to set up two computers with the same Skype user ID and password. When a message is typed or a call is received on one computer, the second computer duplicates the audio and text. This requires knowledge of the user ID and password.The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has interpreted the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) as requiring digital phone networks to allow wiretapping if authorized by an FBI warrant, in the same way as other phone services. In February 2009, Skype said that, not being a telephone company owning phone lines, it is exempt from CALEA and similar laws, which regulate US phone companies, and it is not clear whether Skype could support wiretapping even if it wanted to.WEB,weblink Skype Secrecy Under Attack Again, VoIP News, 24 February 2009, 10 October 2010, 22 July 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120722124315weblink">weblink dead, According to the ACLU, the Act is inconsistent with the original intent of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution;WEB,weblink Big Brother in the Wires: Wiretapping in the Digital Age, American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU, 23 March 2009, more recently, the ACLU has expressed concern that the FCC interpretation of the Act is incorrect.WEB,weblink CALEA feature page, American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU, 23 March 2009, WEB,weblink German Authorities Raiding Homes To Find Skype Tapping Whistleblower, Techdirt, 18 September 2008, 31 March 2009, It has been suggested that Microsoft made changes to Skype's infrastructure to ease various wiretapping requirements;WEB,weblink Was Skype reworked by Microsoft to make it easier to wiretap?, Gaskin, James E., 18 July 2012, ITworld, however, Skype denies the claims.WEB,weblink What Does Skype's Architecture Do?, 26 July 2012, 20 May 2013, Sometime before Skype was sold in 2009, the company had started Project Chess, a program to explore legal and technical ways to easily share calls with intelligence agencies and law enforcement.NEWS, Risen, James, Web's Reach Binds N.S.A. and Silicon Valley Leaders,weblink 29 October 2013, The New York Times, 19 June 2013, Nick Wingfield, On 20 February 2009, the European Union's Eurojust agency announced that the Italian Desk at Eurojust would "play a key role in the coordination and cooperation of the investigations on the use of internet telephony systems (VoIP), such as 'Skype'. [...] The purpose of Eurojust's coordination role is to overcome the technical and judicial obstacles to the interception of internet telephony systems, taking into account the various data protection rules and civil rights."WEB,weblink Press release: Eurojust coordinates internet telephony, Eurojust.europa.EU, 20 February 2009, 10 October 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100529170616weblink">weblink 29 May 2010, In November 2010, a flaw was disclosed to Skype that showed how computer crackers could secretly track any user's IP address.NEWS,weblink Skype Knew of Security Flaw Since November 2010, Researchers say, The Wall Street Journal, Schectman, Joel, 1 May 2012, 10 November 2021, Due to Skype's peer-to-peer nature, this was a difficult issue to address, but this bug was eventually remedied in a 2016 update.WEB,weblink Skype Now Hides Your Internet Address — Krebs on Security, krebsonsecurity.com, 25 January 2016, en-US, 15 October 2018, In 2012, Skype introduced automatic updates to better protect users from security risks, but received some challenge from users of the Mac product, as the updates cannot be disabled from version 5.6 on,WEB,weblink Skype 5.6 for Mac, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120406192256weblink">weblink 6 April 2012, both on Mac OS and Windows versions, although in the latter, and only from version 5.9 on, automatic updating can be turned off in certain cases.WEB,weblink Skype 5.9 for Windows, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120414235334weblink">weblink 14 April 2012, According to a 2012 Washington Post article, Skype "has expanded its cooperation with law enforcement authorities to make online chats and other user information available to police"; the article additionally mentions that Skype made changes to allow authorities access to addresses and credit card numbers.NEWS,weblink Skype makes chats and user data more available to police, Craig Timberg, 25 July 2012, The Washington Post, 9 March 2016, In November 2012, Skype was reported to have handed over user data of a pro-WikiLeaks activist to Dallas, Texas-based private security company iSIGHT Partners without a warrant or court order. The alleged handover would be a breach of Skype's privacy policy. Skype responded with a statement that it launched an internal investigation to probe the breach of user data privacy.NEWS, Ryan, Gallagher, Did Skype Give a Private Company Data on Teen WikiLeaks Supporter Without a Warrant?, 9 November 2012,weblink Slate (magazine), Slate, 11 November 2012, On 13 November 2012, a Russian user published a flaw in Skype's security that allowed any person to take over a Skype account knowing only the victim's email by following seven steps.WEB,weblink Skype accounts can be hacked with an email address, 15 November 2012, 18 October 2017,weblink dead, WEB,weblink Уязвимость в skype, позволяющая угнать любой аккаунт, 13 November 2012, This vulnerability was claimed to exist for months and existed for more than 12 hours after being published widely.On 14 May 2013, it was documented that a URL sent via a Skype instant messaging session was usurped by the Skype service and subsequently used in a HTTP HEAD query originating from an IP address registered to Microsoft in Redmond (the IP address used was 65.52.100.214). The Microsoft query used the full URL supplied in the IM conversation and was generated by a previously undocumented security service.WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131226140249weblink">weblink 26 December 2013, Skype with Care – Microsoft is Reading Everything You Write, Heise Security, 14 May 2013, 20 May 2013, Security experts speculate that the action was triggered by a technology similar to Microsoft's SmartScreen Filter used in its browsers.WEB,weblink [Cryptography] Skype backdoor confirmation, Adam Back, 16 May 2013, 20 May 2013, 14 December 2020,weblink dead, The 2013 mass surveillance disclosures revealed that agencies such as the NSA and the FBI have the ability to eavesdrop on Skype, including the monitoring and storage of text and video calls and file transfers.NEWS,weblink How Microsoft handed the NSA access to encrypted messages, The Guardian, 11 July 2013, 20 July 2013, London, Glenn, Greenwald, Glenn Greenwald, Spencer, Ackerman, Laura, Poitras, Ewen, MacAskill, Dominic, Rushe, PODCAST, Leo Laporte, Steve Gibson, Security Now, episode 413, This Week in Tech, 17 July 2013,weblink 17 July 2013, NEWS, Tom, McCarthy, Obama defends secret NSA surveillance programs – as it happened, 7 June 2013,weblink The Guardian, 9 June 2013, London, The PRISM surveillance program, which requires FISA court authorization, reportedly has allowed the NSA unfettered access to its data center supernodes. According to the leaked documents, integration work began in November 2010, but it was not until February 2011 that the company was served with a directive to comply signed by the attorney general, with NSA documents showing that collection began on 31 March 2011.WEB, National Security Agency,weblink Prism slide 5.jpg, Wikimedia Commons, 7 June 2013, 1 June 2014, Sourced from: On 10 November 2014, Skype scored 1 out of 7 points on the Electronic Frontier Foundation's secure messaging scorecard. Skype received a point for encryption during transit but lost points because communications are not encrypted with a key the provider does not have access to (i.e., the communications are not end-to-end encrypted), users cannot verify contacts' identities, past messages are not secure if the encryption keys are stolen (i.e., the service does not provide forward secrecy), the code is not open to independent review (i.e., not available to merely view, nor under a free-software license), the security design is not properly documented, and there has not been a recent independent security audit.WEB,weblink Electronic Frontier Foundation, Secure Messaging Scorecard. Which apps and tools actually keep your messages safe?, 4 November 2014, 1 June 2015, 15 November 2016,weblink dead, WEB,weblink Electronic Frontier Foundation, Scorecard Update: We Cannot Credit Skype For End-to-end Encryption, 10 November 2014, WEB,weblink PC Magazine, Only 6 Messaging Apps Are Truly Secure, 5 November 2014, 8 January 2015, AIM, BlackBerry Messenger, Ebuddy XMS, Hushmail, Kik Messenger, Viber, and Yahoo Messenger also scored 1 out of 7 points.As of August 2018, Skype now supports end-to-end encryption across all platforms.NEWS,weblink Skype now offers end-to-end encrypted conversations, The Verge, 2018-10-15,

Cybercrime on application

Cybersex trafficking has occurred on SkypeWEB,weblink First paedophile in NSW charged with cybersex trafficking, 27 March 2017, the Daily Telegraph, NEWS,weblink Australian cyber sex trafficking 'most dark and evil crime we are seeing', 7 September 2016, ABC News, WEB,weblink Former UK army officer jailed for online child sex abuse, 22 May 2019, Reuters, WEB,weblink Cheap tech and widespread internet access fuel rise in cybersex trafficking, 30 June 2018, NBC News, and other videoconferencing applications.WEB,weblink PHILIPPINES Even 2-month-old babies can be cybersex victims – watchdogwebsite=Rappler, According to the Australian Federal Police, overseas pedophiles are directing child sex abuse using its live streaming services.HTTPS://WWW.ABC.NET.AU/NEWS/2016-09-07/PREDATORS-USING-INTERNET-TO-DIRECT-LIVE-ONLINE-SEX-ABUSE/7819150>TITLE=AUSTRALIAN CYBER SEX TRAFFICKING 'MOST DARK AND EVIL CRIME WE ARE SEEING'WEBSITE=ABC NEWS,

Service in the People's Republic of China

{{Update|inaccurate=yes|date=January 2012}}Since September 2007, users in China trying to download the Skype software client have been redirected to the site of TOM Online, a joint venture between a Chinese wireless operator and Skype, from which a modified Chinese version can be downloaded.WEB,weblink Dynamic Internet Technology Inc. Alleges Skype Redirects Users in China to Censorware Version â€“ Ten Days After Users Are Able To Download Freegate Software Through Skype,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080115165204weblink">weblink 15 January 2008, TMCnet, 24 September 2007, The TOM client participates in China's system of Internet censorship, monitoring text messages between Skype users in China as well as messages exchanged with users outside the country.WEB,weblink Surveillance of Skype messages found in China, International Herald Tribune, 2 October 2008, 2 November 2008, 2 October 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081002220539weblink">weblink dead, WEB, Thomas, Claburn,weblink Skype Defends VoIP IM Monitoring in China, InformationWeek, 2 October 2008, 1 November 2008, 10 February 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090210230204weblink">weblink dead, Niklas Zennström, then chief executive of Skype, told reporters that TOM "had implemented a text filter, which is what everyone else in that market is doing. Those are the regulations." He also stated, "One thing that's certain is that those things are in no way jeopardising the privacy or the security of any of the users."NEWS,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110207002929weblink">weblink 7 February 2011, Skype says texts are censored by China, Financial Times, 18 April 2006, dead, In October 2008, it was reported that TOM had been saving the full message contents of some Skype text conversations on its servers, apparently focusing on conversations containing political issues such as Tibet, Falun Gong, Taiwan independence, and the Chinese Communist Party. The saved messages contain personally identifiable information about the message senders and recipients, including IP addresses, usernames, landline phone numbers, and the entire content of the text messages, including the time and date of each message. Information about Skype users outside China who were communicating with a TOM-Skype user was also saved. A server misconfiguration made these log files accessible to the public for a time.NEWS,weblink Skype's China Practices Draw Ire: Joint Venture's Tracking of Text Messages Adds Impetus to Web Code of Conduct, Geoffrey A., Fowler, Jason Dean, The Wall Street Journal, 3 October 2008, NEWS,weblink Huge System for Web Surveillance Discovered in China, The New York Times, John, Markoff, 1 October 2008, Research on the TOM-Skype venture has revealed information about blacklisted keyword checks, allowing censorship and surveillance of its users. The partnership has received much criticism for the latter. Microsoft remains unavailable for comment on the issue.NEWS,weblink Microsoft blocks censorship of Skype in China: advocacy group, Reuters, Carsten, Paul, 27 November 2013, 10 November 2021, According to reports from the advocacy group Great Fire, Microsoft has modified censorship restrictions and ensured encryption of all user information. Furthermore, Microsoft is now partnered with Guangming Founder (GMF) in China.NEWS,weblink A new relationship for a better experience in China, Skype, Skype Blogs, 25 November 2013, All attempts to visit the official Skype web page from mainland China redirect the user to skype.gmw.cn. The Linux version of Skype is unavailable.{{Citation needed|date=April 2020}}

Localization

Skype comes bundled with the following locales and languages: Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Nepali, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian and European), Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.As the Windows desktop program offers users the option of creating new language files, at least 80 other (full or partial) localizations are also available for many languages.WEB,weblink SkypeInYourLanguage, akerbeltzalba, SourceForge, 16 April 2018,

Customer service

In January 2010, Skype rescinded its policy of seizing funds in Skype accounts that have been inactive (no paid call) for 180 days. This was in settlement of a class-action lawsuit.NEWS,weblink WSJ, The Wall Street Journal, Sarmad, Ali, 14 January 2010, Skype also paid up to US$4 to persons who opted into the action.As of February 2012, Skype provides support through their web support portal, support community, @skypesupport on Twitter, and Skype Facebook page. Direct contact via email and live chat is available through their web support portal. Chat Support is a premium feature available to Skype Premium and some other paid users.Skype's refund policy states that they will provide refunds in full if customers have used less than 1 euro of their Skype Credit. "Upon a duly submitted request, Skype will refund you on a pro-rata basis for the unused period of a Product".Skype has come under some criticism from users for the inability to completely close accounts. Users not wanting to continue using Skype can make their account inactive by deleting all personal information, except for the username.WEB,weblink How to delete Your Skype account?, TechWhoop, 21 July 2017, Due to an outage on 21 September 2015 that affected several users in New Zealand, Australia, and other countries, Skype decided to compensate their customers with 20 minutes of free calls to over 60 landline and 8 mobile phone destinations.NEWS, Skype to compensate users for September outage,weblink itNews, Juha, Saarinen, 8 October 2015,

Educational use

Although Skype is a commercial product, its non-paid version is used with increasing frequency among teachers, schools, and charities interested in global education projects.JOURNAL,weblink Talk Is Cheap: Skype Can Make VoIP a Very Real Communication Option for Your School, Technology & Learning, v27 n8 p36, Jeffrey, Branzburg, Technology & Learning, March 2007, 27, 8, 36, 10 May 2011, A popular use case is to facilitate language learning through conversations that alternate between each participant's native language.Language Magazine articleWEB,weblink LinguaeLive – Connect students who want to learn each other's languages, Han Sha, linguaelive.ca, WEB,weblink, Practice a new language with native speakers via Skype, languageforexchange.com, dead, https:web.archive.org/web/20160505000814weblink 5 May 2016, WEB,weblink The Mixxer – a free educational website for language exchanges via Skype, language-exchanges.org, The video conferencing aspect of the software has been praised for its ability to connect students who speak different languages, facilitate virtual field trips, and engage directly with experts.NEWS, Ian, Quillen, Educators Move Beyond the Hype Over Skype, 4 February 2011,weblink Education Week, 9 June 2013, WEB,weblink Video Conferencing with Skype, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140508025849weblink">weblink 8 May 2014, Skype in the classroom is another free-of-charge tool that Skype has set up on its website, designed to encourage teachers to make their classrooms more interactive, and collaborate with other teachers around the world. There are various Skype lessons in which students can participate. Teachers can also use a search tool and find experts in a particular field.WEB,weblink Skype in the Classroom, 30 November 2012,weblink 1 December 2012, dead, The educational program Skype a Scientist, set up by biologist Sarah McAnulty in 2017, had in two years connected 14,312 classrooms with over 7000 volunteer scientists.WEB,weblink How The 'Skype A Scientist' Program Combats Fake News Through Public Education, Killgrove, Kristina, 27 February 2019, Forbes, 27 January 2020, However, Skype is not adopted universally, with many educational institutions in the United States and Europe blocking the application from their networks.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}{{Why|date=December 2020}}

See also

• Caller ID spoofing
• Censorship of Skype
• Comparison of cross-platform instant messaging clients
• Comparison of instant messaging protocols
• Comparison of VoIP software
• List of video telecommunication services and product brands
• Mobile VoIP
• Presence information
• Unified communications

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

• {{Official website}}

{{Cryptographic software}}{{Instant messaging}}{{Microsoft}}{{Telecommunications}}{{Windows Components}}