
When you think of “video chat”, you think of Skype. The video calling application has been downloaded over a billion times on smartphones alone since 2012, when tech giant Microsoft purchased the platform for $8.5bn.
Though Skype hasn’t had a significant update since 2006, when it first introduced the video calling feature. All the while, competing applications have emerged offering similar services, such as Facebook Messenger and Apple’s FaceTime. Users were found to be using Skype once or twice a week to video chat, whilst using Facebook or Google’s apps on a daily basis. Skype corporate vice president Amritansh Raghav recognised the need for evolution however, and stated; “We don’t think Skype can rest on its legacy”.
Last week Microsoft updates Skype for the Snapchat generation. The video calling app refreshed its look and added several new features to its video and text chat service. Though the upgrade will initially only be available to Android users, with updates to iOS, Mac and Windows apps coming later this year.