Microsoft is bringing a new version of its popular Skype online calling service to India.
The technology giant said this week that its new Skype Lite was built for people in areas of India where Internet connectivity is poor.
Microsoft (MSFT) claims that the new app will “deliver a great Skype performance in challenging network conditions” as well as use less customer data and require less power to operate. Additionally, Microsoft (MSFT) said that the new app contains features specific to Indian users like Wi-Fi and mobile data monitoring so Indian users can keep better tabs of their data usage. Additionally, Microsoft built Indian-specific chat bots that can presumably converse with users in their native languages.
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Microsoft says the new app compresses, or shrinks, big digital files like videos and won’t drain smartphone batteries as much as the conventional Skype mobile app.
Indian residents can download the app through Google’s (GOOG) online store for Android phones, and that it’s available in seven languages like Bengali, Hindi, and Tamil. Apple phones and the iOS operating system are not currently supported.
It’s unclear how the new Skype Lite will work if users from India calls someone who has the regular Skype app. Microsoft said the new app “was built in India, for users in India” without elaborating.
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Coins2Day contacted Microsoft for more information and will update this post if it responds.
Earlier this month, Amazonintroduced its own online calling service called Chime that is intended for businesses. Amazon (AMZN) claims that its new service is easier to use than competitors like Skype and Cisco’s (CSCO) video conferencing service.
Update: Wednesday 1:45 PM PST: A Skype spokesperson said “Skype Lite is a service for consumers in the Indian market, and is not connected to Skype for Business.”