Skype, will this P people off and encourage them to move to Google+?

[bekdik]

Skype Advertising Update

Today we are announcing the launch of Conversation Ads in Skype. These new display ad units will appear within the calling window of users who do not have Skype Credit or subscriptions when they're making 1:1 Skype-to-Skype audio calls using Skype for Windows.

We're excited to introduce Conversations Ads as an opportunity for marketers to reach our hundreds of millions of connected users in a place where they can have meaningful conversations about brands in a highly engaging environment. Skype is already at the center of meaningful conversations, where families, friends, and colleagues spend time together.

While on a 1:1 audio call, users will see content that could spark additional topics of conversation that are relevant to Skype users and highlight unique and local brand experiences. So, you should think of Conversation Ads as a way for Skype to generate fun interactivity between your circle of friends and family and the brands you care about. Ultimately, we believe this will help make Skype a more engaging and useful place to have your conversations each and every day.

[The_Librarian]

will see if it is very intrusive or not...

& will probably just "tune" them out, like banner ads...

[Surv0]

Yeah I wouldnt worry about these, half the time I minimize skype anyway while talking. However I do use the share screen function quite often while calling, so if these ads cause a headache here I will be annoyed. Maybe just revert to an older version.

[Nerfherder]

I am already fed up with skype... time to move on.

[evilstebunny]

The Skype experience is our top priority,

Evidently not, having more ads shoved in your face doesn't really enhance anything.

[abandonallhope]

Microsoft buys skype, and then the **** and adds increase ?

Doesn't really make a whole lot of sense to me.

[Arthur]

Microsoft buys skype, and then the **** and adds increase ?

Doesn't really make a whole lot of sense to me.

Microsoft is apparently still letting Skype run as an independent company. This is raising eyebrows in Redmond and among MSFT-watchers. I wonder if they even told MSFT this was their plan ...

Here and here, for example.

If they didn't tell steveb, I can just imagine the volume in Building 9 at Redmond. Tony Bates's leaning curve just got quite a bit steeper.

[Elimentals]

Microsoft is apparently still letting Skype run as an independent company. This is raising eyebrows in Redmond and among MSFT-watchers. I wonder if they even told MSFT this was their plan ...

Here and here, for example.

If they didn't tell steveb, I can just imagine the volume in Building 9 at Redmond. Tony Bates's leaning curve just got quite a bit steeper.

Talking about that, I never really understood why they bought the company in the 1st place as Lync is a far better product in my view. 1st I thought they where going to incorporate Skype into Lync and msn/windows live messenger but it does not look like it. May have been patent related?

Anyway I don't get why people are upset about extra ads, its not like you look at the app while you chatting, and yes I prefer Google talk as I don't have to install anything but I still resort to minimizing or opening a new tab when I am talking to people.

[Vulk]

Talking about that, I never really understood why they bought the company in the 1st place as Lync is a far better product in my view. 1st I thought they where going to incorporate Skype into Lync and msn/windows live messenger but it does not look like it. May have been patent related?

Anyway I don't get why people are upset about extra ads, its not like you look at the app while you chatting, and yes I prefer Google talk as I don't have to install anything but I still resort to minimizing or opening a new tab when I am talking to people.

They didn't buy it for the software, they bought it for the user-base.

[Elimentals]

They didn't buy it for the software, they bought it for the user-base.

To do what with? Not like Skype was making billions or that having Skype would make more people pick Microsoft over say Apple.

[Arthur]

Yeah, I agree it's a mystery.

One can speculate about all sorts of possibilities, and column-kilometres have been written already. Personally, I'm still holding out for Lync-based capability delivered to the mass user through a rejigged Skype client, on PC, tablet and phone. My Action Pack has the server stuff but never installed, as my life is lived in Outlook, Skype, and the accounting system. And a browser, of course.

As long as Skype is free I guess we have to live with ads (after all, Google is really an ad company that happens to use technology to target and deliver the stuff), but my paid-for platforms must be ad-free. I installed Viber on the WP7, but so far it's just keeping a few million transistors on state-b.

[ponder]

Hopefully as usual the Linux client lags with this feature

In all honesty we need a proper free SIP based client with killer codecs that is open source and universal so you can interact with it from any application via standardised APIs.

[bwana]

Skype-to-Skype audio calls using Skype for Windows

I dont use windows - not that Skype on OsX isnt atrocious in its own right.

[Arthur]

Skype on OsX

That's one thing that'll probably be fixed up now that they're in Microsoft. Believe it or not, there' a strong Mac following inside Microsoft ... the Win vs Mac antagonism lives in Apple and the Press, not in Microsoft.

[gregmcc]

Soon near you...Adblock for skype