A lighter weight version of Skype specific to India is in the works

Sean Michael

Skype on Windows Phone

Skype is ubiquitous when it comes to video. That being said, it’s not the only option and it needs to keep up to date if it wants to compete with rival services. In India there are many users on 2G and 3G internet connections that have a worse experience on Skype than on Viber.

To catch up, Microsoft is releasing a version of Skype specifically built for India. The new version will be much lighter weight to help it run smoothly on lower speed connections. A Skype spokesperson told The Indian Express “India’s 2G and 3G network, as well as the mix of phones in use, pose very specific challenges for us… the new application will be much lighter than the one now available, and will require far less computation resources and memory.”

India is home to over 1.2 billion people and holds a massive opportunity for Microsoft to form a strong foothold in one of the world’s largest markets. Microsoft has a wide array of low and mid-range devices that are available in India and having a lower power hungry Skype will make the service more usable across those devices. Skype needs to be one of the strongest programs of its kind if it’s going to keep users from switching to the growing list of similar applications.