Skype to insert advertisements in online calls

Washington: Online video call service Skype has announced that it plans to insert display ads into the chat window.

Skype, in its official blog, said the company is ‘excited’ about introducing a new ad service as a way for marketers to reach hundreds of millions of users in a place where they can have ‘a meaningful conversation about brands.’

For now, the ads will display only on 1:1 Skype-to-Skype audio calls made with Skype for Windows, The Los Angeles Times reports.

According to the report, the release also promises ‘additional commercial experiences in the future.’

People who have Skype credit or a Skype subscription will be exempt from any commercial intrusions during their calls.

But people using the service for free will see an ad unit appear in the calling window when they are making a one-on-one Skype-to-Skype audio call.

According to the paper, the ads will be silent and non-expanding.

Skype is owned by Microsoft, which paid 8.5 billion dollars for the company in 2011.

 (ANI)