Skype hits Windows Phone 7

Skype has been launched on Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 platform, finally marking the app's arrival on its owner's mobile operating system.

The voice and videoconferencing service has already launched on Android and iOS, but now has wider coverage thanks to its WP7 introduction, even if the Microsoft OS is much less popular than Google's and Apple's offerings.

Skype for iPad was recently named IT Pro's Business App of the Year.

Skype for Windows Phone Beta supports the most important Skype features you've come to know and love.

The WP7 version is available in beta form now, with the gold' app coming in April. Users will need to be running Windows Phone 7.5, otherwise known as Mango.

"Skype for Windows Phone Beta supports the most important Skype features you've come to know and love," Skype said in a blog post.

"And you will be especially thrilled by the clean and simple Skype experience that the Metro user interface delivers on your Windows Phone.

"This is only the beginning for Skype for Windows Phone...it's just going to get better and better. We see incredible potential to include Skype capabilities in Windows Phone in order to enable a great experience for you."

See below for Skype's video explaining how the app works:

Microsoft, which acquired Skype for $8.5 billion last year, is looking to impress this week during Mobile World Congress 2012. You can find all the latest news on that event here.

Meanwhile, Skype rival Cisco is placing pressure on the European Commission to place greater constrictions on what Microsoft can do with its VoIP service.

Cisco launched its appeal in the EU's General Court earlier this month.