Microsoft will complete full integration of Skype and Live Messenger this year

Microsoft continues to work on integrating the Skype service it acquired with its Windows Live Messenger instant messaging program, which began back in November, ITAR-TASS reports with reference to the official Skype blog. Consolidation of accounts will first begin with English-speaking countries.

Skype developers write that such an update will give Windows Live Messenger users the opportunity to expand their circle of communication, since Skype works on various devices and platforms, including Windows, Mac, IOS, Windows Phone and Android, so switching to Skype will be very beneficial.

"We love that we give people the opportunity to laugh, talk about stories, and just hang out together. That's why we're so excited to bring Skype to Windows Live Messenger users. In November, we announced that Messenger and Skype would be combined to allow users to sign in through one Microsoft account," the blog says.

Messenger will begin updating to Skype on Windows devices on April 8. The whole process will take several weeks. The ability to exchange messages with users connected to Live Messenger appeared in the Skype client version 6.0 (for Windows and Mac) in November last year.

Microsoft Live Messenger is the largest such service on the Internet - its share is more than 60%. Some experts fear that such a significant increase in Skype's user base may raise questions about the quality of communication, which has already deteriorated recently, perhaps precisely because of the changes that Microsoft is making to Skype to integrate it with its services.

Microsoft bought Danish company Skype Global Sarl for $8.5 billion in 2011 from a group of investors led by Silver Lake Partners, which acquired 70% of Skype from Internet company eBay in 2009 for $2 billion.