Skype has finally coughed up a response to Zoom, the video conferencing app that has practically gone viral in times of the coronavirus lockdown. Now, Skype has introduced a new feature called 'Meet Now', and straight off the bat, the service is being deemed as a far safer alternative to Zoom since it has been a tried and tested service for a long time now. However, safety isn't the only thing that is at stake — according to an Engadget report, Skype Meet Now allows users to start up a video conference without even needing to sign up on the platform.
Additionally, Skype is also a free service, and does not require the app to be installed on your devices for you to make a video call. The special feature here is that even a meeting host is not required to sign up on the platform. The meeting can be started directly from the web client, through which a unique Meet Now URL is generated. Any participant can join in on the call through this link. What seems truly promising about the Meet Now feature is that it is not a basic, barebone service — using it, Skype users can access recent previous chats, view participant information on the call, mute/unmute microphone, turn video on/off, sent chat reactions on call, and even record a meeting.
Recordings of Skype's Meet Now calls are stored for 30 days, hence giving users some time to retrieve their video calls. The only thing that is not clear yet is the total number of video call participants that can join in on one call. With Zoom facing an incredible number of issues in terms of privacy and security, this gives Skype good reason to earn back an industry where it was already dominant. With the work from home phase set to continue for a while, it remains to be seen if Zoom manages to hold on to its newfound popularity, or loses out to the likes of Skype in the eventuality.
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