New Key announcements made by Satya Nadella in Future Decoded event

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella today announced several new products under the company’s flagship technology and business conference Future Decoded in Mumbai. The products are specifically designed for India and ‘Made in India’ which highlight the company’s aim to broaden its portfolio beyond Windows and Office. 

The tech company has launched a lighter version of Skype video and voice calling service that enables users to run the application from their low-end smartphones. The product also comes with Aadhaar authentication, enabling a simple and extensive reach, Nadella said. 

Dubbed as Skype Lite, the application is built at Microsoft Hyderabad center witll compete with the likes of popular messaging services such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. 

Skype Lite

The new application will occupy only a third (13MB) of the previous Skype application (36MB), and it also consumes lesser data. The app is smart enough to sense when it is being on cellular network and when on Wi-Fi and adjusts data accordingly. The sharing in the application happens over the cloud storage which helps in saving up the mobile storage data, whereas in WhatsApp the data is directly stored in phone or memory card. 

It also integrates mobile calling and SMS so users can see Skype calls, messages and contacts together with mobile calls, SMSs and contacts and allows an interface to use the other services within it. 

Like Outlook’s interface, the new Skype segregates the promotion messages and important messages. Microsoft is also integrating machine learning and image recognition technologies to introduce a host of bots within Skype which is yet work in progress. 

The upcoming bots (or supplements) in Skype will help in buying train or air tickets, weather data or cricket scores. For now, the Andhra Pradesh state government transport authority has already build a bot for providing transport information. 

The new Skype which will support seven Indian languages, is refurbished with an aim to change its functionality from computers to smartphones. 

Sangam and Kaizala app 
Microsoft has also developed a skill-cum-job-hiring platform called Sangam, to help enhance skills of people in India enhance for low-skilled people in India. The platform is said to combine Microsoft’s cloud, video and other technologies with LinkedIn’s assets, and will also allow any training content provider to offer their courses over the cloud. 

Nadella said that Microsoft is very excited about innovations like Kaizala, an application from Microsoft Garage that helps to fill the communication gap between the administration. The app can be used to track bills, jobs, location and more and more. 

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