Microsoft Announces Skype for Windows 8

Microsoft today announced that a Skype Metro-style app for Windows 8 will ship on October 26. This was expected, and if you’ve been reading this site regularly, you know that Rafael and I outed the Skype app for Windows 8 back in August.

“The team at Skype has been building on the Windows platform since the first release of Skype,” Skype’s Mark Gillett writes in the firm’s corporate blog. “With Skype for Windows 8 we've focused on how people are using Skype today, and re-imagined Skype for everyday communications across our global community.”

You can find out more about the Skype app for Windows in Windows 8 Secrets: Skype App for Windows 8. But according to Gillet, it offers a nice, full-screen, Metro-style user experience while running in the background and integrating with Windows 8 notifications, Snap mode, and the People app.

“This release is only the beginning, and we will continue to update the Skype app over the coming months through the Windows Store, improving the experience adding new features and capabilities,” Gillet adds.

No word yet on whether this app works with Windows RT. One would think so.