Recently purchased by Microsoft for $8.5 billion, this once niche international VoIP service has enjoyed a remarkable 12 months. It's made its way onto a host of new devices, becoming a truly cross-platform service that connects people across the world for free by both audio and video.

If you pick up a connected TV from Samsung, Panasonic or LG you’ll now be able to make video calls from your living room television, and iPad and iPhone owners can also join the video party, thanks to improved Skype apps.

With a record number of registered users and up to 30 million people chatting at any given time, Skype takes its place as one of the most essential slabs of software in the world.