You can now make Skype calls within Slack

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Slack, the robust communications tool used by more than two million people daily, launched in preview a Skype feature that will let you make calls within the app.

Microsoft said anyone on a Slack team will be able to start a Skype call from a computer by typing “/skype” into the Slack chat “regardless of whether team members are using Slack on the Web, Windows, Mac, iOS or Android, according to a Microsoft blog post announcing the integration.”

The blog post goes on to explain:

Whether your team members use Slack on the web, Windows, Mac, iOS or Android, you’ll receive a Slack notification that a Skype call has started, so no one will ever miss a call again. Whenever you want to start a new call, just type “/skype” into the chat again which will set up a new call for others to join.

To clarify: the chat doesn’t happen within the Slack window; the link will either open up the chat service in your web browser or in the native Skype app.

ZDNet dug up some fine print worth noting for early adopters of this Skype-Slack partnership:

Standard Skype group calling limits apply. Get up to 10 participants on a group video call and 25 participants on a group voice call. Once the limit is reached, new participants won’t be able to join. Guest joining is currently supported on web only. We’ll be adding support for guest joining on mobile soon.

Skype didn’t share when it expects the Slack integration would launch out of preview.