Whilst Skype has long been the brand synonymous with video calls, it has recently lost ground to alternative services such as Zoom (opens in new tab), (opens in new tab), or ClickMeeting, who have integrated features not yet offered by Skype. Skype operates in a crowded market with competitors constantly looking to one-up Skype’s product and capture market share. (Image credit: Microsoft) The competition This makes it easier for participants to join a video conference either directly from a web browser or from the Skype app on a supported device. More recently, Skype introduced its new Meet Now product, which enables hosts and participants to create and join a video call without making an account or downloading the app.

Users can create polls, insert files from OneDrive (opens in new tab) or their computer, and even share music from Spotify.

Special praise must also be given to Skype’s in-call chat window, which far surpasses that of competitors such as Join.Me and Zoom. Skype now enables users to add live captions to video calls, offers end-to-end encrypted chat functionality, and has even introduced a live translating option that facilitates video calls with up to ten languages spoken simultaneously. However, one of the platform’s greatest strengths is that it goes far beyond these basic video conferencing features. Skype’s features go well beyond those of its competitors.

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