Similar to the Facebook Lite app that was launched in 2015, Microsoft has built a lightweight version of its extensively used video calling application, Skype. Microsoft created Skype Lite specifically for the Indian market. In an event in Mumbai, Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, announced Skype Lite, a 13MB android software that is designed to work perfectly in areas with patchy networks and has been optimized to work on slower 2G mobile networks and on lower-end mobile phones with limited storage and processing speed. In an attempt to tap into the growing Indian market and make more mobile buyers use their application, Microsoft launched the app with 6 additional languages, namely Hindi, Gujrati, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil and Telegu. Developed in Microsoft’s research and development centre in Hyderabad, it is currently available only in India and can be downloaded free of cost from the Android Play Store.

Interestingly, at the same event titled Future Decoded, Microsoft announced how they had been working on a pilot to that would link both Skype and LinkedIn to India’s giant biometric identity scheme, Aadhar. They presented various case scenarious to the central authorities on how Skype can be used for identity authentication using the Aadhar database. They also cited how Skype can be used by citizens to authenticate themselves for accessing government services requiring authentication based on Aadhar. Announced under Project Sangam, Microsoft stated how Skype offers Aadhar authentication and allows either of the callers to request for other’s verification. While a call is underway, one of the callers could ask for verification and the other user would be prompted to enter the unique 12-digit Aadhar number and a one-time password they received on the phone. Such a feature comes in handy in scenarios where, for example, a government agency or an employer finds it necessary to have a verification process. Microsoft ensures that it deletes all the data once the call gets disconnected. It also allows its users to enroll through Aadhar cards and utilize LinkedIn services. This could potentially help the government in training and assisting the people to get jobs via Microsoft’s professional networking website.

Such use of Aadhar with Skype and LinkedIn will let Microsoft to bring on board millions of Indian citizens living in rural areas that lack something as basic as an e-mail IDs, which is a crucial identifier. The mobile phones are generally the first computing device they use so, technically most of them do not have an e-mail ID.

Looking ahead, Microsoft plans to bring Aadhar integration by the end of June 2017 and their services would support both business to business and consumer services.

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