In recent years, browser vendors have been dialing back their support of browser helpers. On the other hand, they have been a popular target for attackers who prey on vulnerabilities in popular plug-ins, particularly Adobe Flash and Java. On one hand, they can help expand a Web browser’s functionality, automating certain tasks and improving productivity. To make this a reality, we will continue to work on enabling audio and video interoperability with Chrome and Firefox browsers, once they both support the H.264 video codec.”Ĭonsumers and business users have a love-hate relationship with browser plug-ins. “But we want to bring seamless calling to everyone, not just people using Microsoft Edge. “Today’s launch is exciting news and is the first step towards fulfilling the commitment we’ve made to support WebRTC in Skype and Skype for Business,” blogged Microsoft’s Skype team on April 15. Meanwhile, Microsoft is looking forward to the day when all it takes is a Web browser to connect with other Skype users. Likewise, Edge will prompt users to install a plug-in if they attempt to share their screens or call contacts that are running older Skype clients. For instance, features like calling landlines and mobile numbers require a plug-in. Power users may find that the preview of Skype video calling on Microsoft Edge falls a little short. They can also call users of the latest Skype apps for Windows and Mac directly, according to the company. It enables users to conduct Skype voice, video and group video calls on Skype for Web,, Office Online and OneDrive natively in their browsers without a plug-in or additional software, including the bundled Skype app for Windows 10.Įssentially, Edge users can now make one-to-one and group calls (voice and video) with one another without loading the Skype client software. The new capability comes courtesy of built-in support for the Object Real-Time Communications (ORTC) standard in Edge. (IE11 is still available for enterprises running legacy Web apps.) Making a break from Internet Explorer’s checkered past, Microsoft replaced IE with the newer, Web-standards-compliant Edge as the default browser for Windows 10. Microsoft announced a new preview of Skype video calling on its Microsoft Edge browser (version 6 and up) on Friday that does away with plug-ins and other helper software. Windows 10 users can now make Skype calls from Microsoft Edge, no plug-in required.

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