Microsoft soon to test Skype beta for Windows Phone

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According to reports from Microsoft employees, the company has begun internal testing of a beta version of Skype for Windows Phone. Microsoft purchased Skype last year for a stunning $8.5 billion, but it has yet to add Skype support to its own mobile platform.

The email messages sent out to Microsoft employees didn't provide too much information about the upcoming app, but it appears that it is a standalone app and not integrated into Windows Phone 7.5 in the same way that social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn have been.

According to WP7Lab, the email sent to employees went something like this:

"Skype for Windows Phone is just around the corner and we've teamed up with the Skype folks to help with beta testing. If you are receiving this newsletter directly, look for an invitation in the coming weeks and be on the inside track for what is sure to be one of the hottest new apps on the Marketplace!"

The quote has since been removed from WP7Lab at the request of their source, which only seems to lend it more credibility.

Skype support has been a big bullet item among the things that the Windows Phone 7.5 platform is lacking, as its competitors Android and the iPhone both offer video and audio calling through Skype's network. It had been hinted at CES 2012 that the Skype app for Windows Phone was coming soon, and today's news suggests that it is well on its way to making it to the Windows Phone Marketplace in the near future. [via PocketNow]