It looks like a changing of the guard is in order for TOM-Skype, the Chinese equivalent of Skype and a joint venture between Microsoft and TOM Online that’s been in operation in the country for 9 years now. Microsoft will apparently be taking over operations for Skype in China starting November 24th as announced by TOM Online.
The TOM-Skype apps differ from those of their international brethren in that they’ve been slightly modified to allow for easier censorship of certain keywords. TOM-Skype applies a text filter and automatically blocks messages deemed unsuitable for delivery.
Microsoft merged Windows Live Messenger with Skype everywhere except mainland China back in April, with China being the exception due to the aforementioned modifications needed.
With the move to Microsoft development and with the company’s “One Microsoft” vision all the rage these days, it’s possible that the Chinese variants could be more aligned with the international versions. It’s hard to say what, if anything, this move will change for Skype users in the country.