Microsoft is starting to integrate Skype into Outlook.com, aiming to make its webmail service more of a universal communications hub.
The company this morning announced a preview of Skype video calling and messaging for Outlook.com, rolling out first to “a select set of people” in the UK, with plans to take it to the U.S. and Germany in the coming weeks.
Outlook.com has replaced Hotmail as Microsoft’s webmail brand. Users will be able to link their Skype accounts to Outlook.com to make their Skype contacts appear in their Outlook.com contact list, letting them call or message them from inside the Outlook.com interface. Because of Microsoft’s previous combination of Messenger and Skype, those Messenger contacts will also be available for calling inside Outlook.com.
Microsoft acquired Skype for $8.5 billion and has been gradually integrating the video calling service into a variety of its products.
