Microsoft seems to have had a change of heart, and has decided to keep certain parts of its Skype desktop API alive. The postponement, according to the company, is because it wants to help developers find the necessary alternatives.
The retirement of the Skype desktop API was announced this July.
And while the initial idea was to discontinue the desktop API, fully and completely, in December, the developer community stepped in and asked Microsoft to change its mind — until suitable replacements were found, that is.
Even a Change.org petition was launched that asked Redmond to extend support for the existing desktop API, with developers claiming that the retirement affects their businesses due to the unavailability of certain features.
Redmond talked about this in a blog post on the official Skype blog that both call recording and compatibility with hardware devices will continue to be available. However, chatting options for third-party applications is still set for discontinuation by the end of the year, as scheduled:
“The current Desktop API extensibility model wasn’t built for the cloud connected world – as extensibility is only available on the Windows Desktop and Mac clients, leaving the Windows 8 store app, mobile apps, web experiences, and Xbox out of the always connected experience.
The extensibility model of running only on one type of end point needs to evolve to benefit from this new design pattern.”
The reason behind the decision, however, remains the same.
And that is because the existing API does not support mobile application development. Considering just how much Microsoft is investing into development on mobile platforms, the only way forward was retiring the current version.
But at least, the company is determined to find alternative options.
