The Evolution of Skype Web App: From Plugin to Seamless Integration

In the early days of Skype's web app, installing a separate plugin was necessary for users to access its features. This setup presented a significant hurdle, as it failed to provide any incentive for individuals to use a Microsoft browser with a Microsoft product. Despite our efforts to reason, plead, argue, and even shout names at the Edge team, we were met with resistance.

The Edge team prioritized performance above all else, refusing to introduce dependencies that could slow down their browser's performance. Furthermore, they had their own set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to focus on, which did not involve catering to Skype users who preferred using Edge. During this time, collaboration between different organizations within Microsoft was challenging due to strong political headwinds.

As we navigated these obstacles, Chrome's success with Hangouts stood out as a stark reminder of the importance of seamless integration. We saw it as a threat to our own user base and pushed for the Skype plugin to be shipped as default with Edge, making calls effortless for users without requiring them to install an additional plugin.

Unfortunately, our efforts were met with failure. The internal battle between the Skype team and the Edge team continued, likely due to the maintenance costs associated with supporting multiple browsers. Each browser required its own support and updates in our standalone plugin, which was a significant undertaking.

In the end, we decided to focus on the largest browsers, including Chrome, IE 9+, Safari, and Firefox. I was part of the launch team that built the initial version of this product back in 2014. The decision to support Opera was also debated internally but ultimately set aside in favor of focusing on the most widely used browsers.

Fast forward to today, Microsoft has announced plans to drop support for Firefox in March. As we reflect on the journey of Skype's web app, it is clear that our efforts to provide a seamless experience have been ongoing. While we may not have achieved our goal of shipping the plugin as default with Edge, we continue to work towards making audio and video calls easy and accessible for users across multiple browsers.

Compatible browser with skype web app