Satya Nadella launches Aadhaar-based Skype Lite

Aadhaar-based Skype Lite App is aimed for low-end Android smartphones. The highlight of this app is the built-in Aadhaar-based authentication feature.

Mumbai, Feb 22: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella delivered the keynote address on the second day of Microsoft Future Decoded which is claimed to be India's largest digital transformation event. At the event he launched Aadhaar-based Skype Lite App.

The app is aimed for low-end Android smartphones. The highlight of this app is the built-in Aadhaar-based authentication feature. Since a year Microsoft had been in talks with the Indian government to integrate Aadhaar authentication on the app.

Microsoft at the event gave a brief demo on how the feature works and a demo of how people can use Skype to authenticate themselves for accessing government services that require Aadhaar-based authentication.

Features of Skype Lite:

• Skype Lite has been specially built for Indian mobile market.
  
• It is built for low-end Android devices
  
• It is optimised to work on 2G networks too
  
• The app doesn't take up much space on low-end Android devices as it is only 13 MB in size.
  
• App also comes with a built-in data manager thereby ensuring that the calls and messages do not use mobile data.
  
• The UI of app simple, and it is to be a one-stop-shop for calling, and texting.
  
• It can easily filter out promotional texts or spam.
  
• The app also has bots, which can share cricket scores without need to leave the app. Bots can be used for real-time weather
  
• information, horoscope readings, and more.
  
• App will be available as a free download on the Google Play Store.

The event was attended by Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh CM Devendra Fadnavis and N Chandrababu Naidu. At the event Nadella also spoke about Microsoft's initiatives in India which focus on cloud-computing for enterprises. He also talked about LinkedIn in India and about Project Sangam and how they will scale in the coming year. Microsoft has three data centres in India and is investing heavily in the country.

Nadella said, "Our mission is to empower everyone, every organisation on the planet to achieve more. It has a deep sense of meaning for us."

He also informed that, "In Andhra Pradesh, CM Naidu has taken a bold decision that they will be the first cloud state. They will use cloud services to help citizens of the state."

He also threw light on Smart villages in Maharashtra and how Microsoft is working on these projects. In his address Nadella had also talked about how finance sector is undergoing digital transformation and how SBI is moving to the cloud and adopting Office 365.

OneIndia News