At the end of June, there were whispers that Skype could be integrated into Windows 8.1 as Microsoft had already decided to drop Messenger along the way. Well, there is nothing quite like some patience to wait things out and see whether the rumors in question would pan out eventually or not, and here we are with official word from Microsoft themselves that Windows 8.1 will ship with Skype pre-installed, now how about that?
This means folks who have yet to download and install the instant messaging/VoIP client will be able to enjoy it after they perform an operating system upgrade, or alternatively, pick up a machine that runs on Windows 8.1 as the operating system of choice. Existing Skype users would not notice any changes, but with this happening, we could very well see a leap in the overall Skype adoption rate, assuming that sales of new Windows 8.1-powered machines pick up. At the very least, this bit of news would mean you are able to get connected to another person right from the get go (assuming you already have a Skype account in the first place) without having to go through a pesky installation experience whenever you pick up a new Windows 8.1 machine. [Press Release]
Filed in . Read more about Microsoft, Skype and Windows 8.1.