Skype dials in ads to conversations

Popular free Internet telephone service, Skype, has begun showing onscreen ads to its callers. Skype has named them ‘Conversation Ads’ that appear on the calling window of only those using the free Skype service without subscriptions or those with credits in their service accounts. “These new display ad units will appear within the calling window of users who do not have Skype Credit or subscriptions when they're making 1:1 Skype-to-Skype audio calls using Skype for Windows,” Sandhya Venkatachalam revealed in an official Skype blog post.

Silent Ads on Skype....

Basically, these are silent ads, and Skype explains that they have been introduced to generate fun interactivity between a circle of friends and family and the brands they care about. Moreover, they claim that the call quality will remain the same as the ads are silent and non-expanding. On a 1:1 audio call, the ad will show users content that may help spark additional topics of conversation, which are relevant to Skype users and highlight unique and local brand experiences. So, it’s just another way to push advertisements down your throats.

“We're excited to introduce Conversations Ads as an opportunity for marketers to reach our hundreds of millions of connected users in a place where they can have meaningful conversations about brands in a highly engaging environment. Conversation ads are available for marketers to purchase in 55 markets where Skype is available. Users without Skype credit or subscriptions will see the ads during 1:1 Skype-to-Skype audio calls in Skype for Windows,” she adds in the blog post.  

Skype allows its users to make low-cost or free phone calls over the Internet using their computers or smartphones. Skype is capable of bypassing the standard telephone network as it channels voice and video calls over Internet. Late last year, Microsoft had acquired this popular free Internet calling service. The software giant had sealed the deal for a whopping $8.5 billion.