Skype introduces video conferencing with no account requirement for clientsve

Microsoft has given Skype the ability to conduct a video meeting without participants having an account. Only the person who sets up the meeting needs to have an account.

It has been the case since 2016 that users do not necessarily need to have the Skype application on their computer but can simply navigate to web.skype.com, but the exception to the account requirement is new. Skype owner Microsoft seems to want to conquer part of the rapidly growing market for video conferencing due to corona.

In the Skype app, the function can be found under the ‘Meet now’ button. Whoever presses that will be taken to the ‘meeting room’ and will receive a generated link. This one is for the other participants. Anyone who opens this will end up in the meeting, be it with or without a Skype account and Skype app. Compatibility is currently limited to Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

The link that Skype generates consists of twelve characters, both letters and numbers and both upper and lower case letters. There is no password by default and cannot be set, so this is a case of security through obscurity.

A major competitor in this area, Zoom, while very popular at the moment, also has some problems to contend with. Several security and privacy vulnerabilities have caused the developer to pause development of new features so that all resources can be focused on enhanced security.

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