Microsoft ports Skype for Web for use of instant messaging directly in the browser without plugins. For audio and video calls, a plugin is still needed at the moment.

Microsoft today announced the launch of Skype beta for the Web. The news is in reality since the early beta available by logging on Skype.com that will be available initially for a small number of users and gradually deployed around the world in the coming months.

Skype for Web works with Internet Explorer (Version 10 minimum), the latest versions of Chrome and Firefox on Windows. For Safari, you will need to have version 6 and thus with OS X. If so, it will not need to download any plug-in to be able to indulge in instant messaging.

By cons, audio and video calls are still conditioned to install a plugin. At the end of last month, Microsoft unveiled work on the implementation of the API ORTC in Internet Explorer to allow audio and video communications in real time on the web and therefore without plugin.

Skype for Web beta

Knowing that the standard should integrate WebRTC 1.1 ORTC, Internet Explorer will probably not be the only one concerned.

In a different form, Skype had already dabbled in web with a plugin for Outlook.com but to back up this messaging service. This time, Skype has its own Web client.