Microsoft has opened up a beta version of Skype that would run in Web browsers - Skype for Web (Beta) - now available for all new and existing users in the US and UK. Now, anyone going to Skype.com (or web.skype.com) in the US and UK can sign in and connect to Skype for Web to get to their conversations in an instant without downloading the Skype app.

Skype for Web is great if you normally use Skype on your mobile, but want to quickly get to your calls and IMs on a bigger screen. In order to utry it, just go to Skype.com and join or sign in with your Skype ID and password.

Skype for Web is an important step for Skype as Microsoft moves towards implementing the technology to make Real-Time Communications (RTC) on the web a reality.

Microsoft has improved the way you search for people and groups on Skype. Instead of two separate lists for contacts and recent conversations, Skype for Web introduces a timeline view - a single, searchable list that makes it easier to start new conversations and find existing ones.

The Skype team has also added notifications on Skype for Web, so you don?t miss incoming instant messages, audio or video calls, even if you're using another app or viewing a different website in another browser window

The Skype for Web beta works on Windows with Internet Explorer 10 or above, the latest version of Google's Chrome or Mozilla's Firefox and on Mac with Safari 6 or higher. Since it currently requires a plug-in, Skype for Web cannot work on Chromebooks.