Microsoft Chases Skype Revenue As Win 8 Struggles

Microsoft who are struggling to attract customers to upgrade to Windows 8 is looking to farm a new source of income from the sale of prepaid Skype cards in Australia and New Zealand.The cards are available at retailer outlets including BP and Caltex petrol stations, Harvey Norman stores and Allphones. From December, the cards will also be available at 7-Eleven outlets, Skype says.

Available in denominations of $10 and $25, they can be used to pay for monthly calling plans, pay-by-the-minute calls or services such as SMS messaging and group video calls. Users scratch a panel on the card to uncover a PIN which can be entered on a password-protected Web site.