Slack is one of the fastest growing project management and collaboration platforms out there, as companies and startups increasingly embrace it over its competitors, and - god forbid - face-to-face meetings. Now, Slack users will have an additional option for real-time communication, as Microsoft has announced that Skype integration for Slack is now available for preview.
To access the feature and enable Skype within Slack, navigate to this link and click "Add to Slack." If you use Slack for multiple teams, the platform will prompt you to select which team you want to authorize Skype integration for. After everything is set up, your team can immediately start a group call with no charge.
The Skype blog further explains the process of starting a group call in depth:
Once the Skype integration has been configured, anyone on the Slack team can start a Skype call from a computer. Just type “/skype” into the chat and when the call is set up, a join link will appear. 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 join a Skype call, all you need on the desktop is a web browser, or you can get the Skype mobile apps to join from your smartphone. Anyone can join as a guest from a computer, or sign in with a Microsoft account or Skype Name. Please visit the Skype integration for Slack product page for more information and detailed system requirement.
There"s no word yet from Skype on when Slack integration will exit preview, but if early feedback is positive, Slack users should expect full integration soon.
Source: Skype Blog