CAPE TOWN – Microsoft announced that it will be enabling Skype calling service to Amazon’s Alexa devices worldwide this week.
Amazon’s Echo range will be able to access Skype’s basic calling, and hardware like the Echo Show will also include video calling support for Skype.
This integration also lets Skype users call mobile and landlines using SkypeOut.
How it works:
1. Ask Alexa to call any of your Skype contacts – no matter what device they’re using.
2. If the person you’re trying to reach isn’t on Skype, simply read their phone number out loud to call them.
3. For example, “Alexa, Skype Mom”, “Alexa, pick up” and “Alexa, call 206-555-0155 on Skype.
The Skype and Alexa integration follows Microsoft’s increasingly close partnership with Amazon for Alexa, Cortana, and Xbox integration.
The Xbox One now supports Alexa, and Amazon has launched its own Alexa Windows 10 app to bring the digital assistant to all PCs.
How to set-up Skype on your Alexa device:
- Set up your Alexa device using the Amazon Alexa App for Android or iOS.
- Go to Settings > Communication > Skype to link your accounts.
- Sign in using the same Microsoft account you use on Skype.