Microsoft rolls out preview of plugin-free Skype for Web support in Edge
Emil Protalinski / VentureBeat :
Context & Ripple Effects
Skype has been migrating into the browser since the global launch of Skype for Web in mid-2015, but that version leaned on browser plugins to make calls work. This preview removes that dependency specifically for Edge users, letting Microsoft route web-based Skype traffic through its own browser without an add-on install.
First-order effects
- Edge users can place Skype calls directly from the browser during the preview period, with no plugin download standing between them and a call.
Second-order effects
- Browser makers now compete on whether real-time calling works out of the box, and Microsoft gains a reason to steer Skype's large user base toward Edge rather than Chrome, which had carried the web-Skype load since the worldwide launch.
Third-order effects
- If plugin-free web calling holds up in Edge, the pattern points toward browsers natively handling voice and video as a standard capability — consistent with how Microsoft kept pushing Skype deeper into its platforms afterward, from the Skype app shipping on Windows 10 to the 2016-era web client later rebuilt with HD video and call recording.
The trend: Real-time communication is moving from installed plugins to browser-native capability, letting platform owners like Microsoft tie their flagship apps to their own browsers.