Microsoft's plans for Skype include deeper integration, more Facebook

When Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) made its $8.5 billion bid for Skype in May, the big question was, "What would it mean for the VoIP provider?"

Neil Stevens, Skype's vice president and general manager of products and marketing, in an interview with Forbes this week, said that, in addition to its iterations for iOS devices and Android phones, the company wanted to create a Skype experience for Windows Phones that "can show people what a really great Skype experience is like when there are no hardware or vendor limitations," unlike Skype's experience with Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG).

"We're disadvantaged against [Apple's video-chat service] FaceTime because of this closed environment," Stevens said, adding that he'd like to see Skype integrated into the device instead of added on as an app.

"People don't want to start an app when they're making a call," notes Stevens. "This is the way the world's moving; it's hard to do on phones but we have to move there."

He said Skype also would be integrated into Xbox, Lync, and into Windows 8 devices eventually.

Expect, too, he said, to see more advertising on Skype, as Microsoft utilizes its experience with online advertising. Some of that already is being tested.

The deal, which has been approved by the U.S. Justice Department, is still awaiting the okay of European regulators, which should come before the end of the year.

Stevens also said Skype would continue to evolve its relationship with Facebook, focusing on rolling out its online video chat and adding, eventually, the ability to make outbound landline calls from the social networking site, and to call into Facebook from Skype, which likely will be on a fee basis.

"We have a plan to build out a number of products with Facebook," he says. "We'll be Facebook's key partner for communications."

For more:
- see this Forbes article

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