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Just when we thought Skype was too good to be true (and it probably is), its owners Microsoft have got fed up of footing the bills for free VoIP calls and videos, it purchased last year for $8.5bn. ‘Conversation Ad’s’ have just been unleashed; a new display ad that will inadvertently pop up during calls, Skype announced. But it will only be for users who are free-riding on the service and who don’t have Skype credit or a subscription, which may well push more users on a pay model. The ads will hit users making Skype-to-Skype calls on Microsoft Windows OS, only, meaning if you are an iOS or Android user you will dodgy the pesky ads.
But “users will see content that could spark additional topics of conversation that are relevant to Skype users and highlight unique and local brand(s),” says Skype in a statement. Ads will be silent, non-expanding and look like this (see above). So, rather than see ads as a nuisance, “you should think of Conversation Ads as a way for Skype to generate fun interactivity between your circle of friends.” (Hmm..we’re not convinced). And Skype may use personal details of users which are “non-personally identifiable” like location, gender and age to target ads, which is now the norm among online companies. |
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| But users can opt-out of allowing Skype to use some of their personal data, if they please.
Conversation ads are available for marketers to purchase in 55 markets where Skype is available. Other than that, Skype call quality will remain the same. |
