"It (the upgrade) includes SILK, our high quality audio codec, which should help make sure your calls are crystal clear, even when you're on a low-bandwidth connection."

Skype maintains that it had 124 million average monthly connected users for the three months ended June 30, 2010 and users placed 95 billion calling minutes over Skype in the first half of 2010, about 40 per cent of which were video. It says the number of its users is growing by the population of Singapore (more than four million) every 12 days and nearly a third of its registered subscribers now use it for business purposes.

Skype can be downloaded onto computers, mobile phones and other connected devices for free.

In October, the Luxembourg-based company launched the new Skype for Windows, which integrated the Facebook News Feed and Phonebook in Skype, including easier voice and video calling, instant messaging, screen sharing, and file sharing.

Tags: Telecommunications