Remember, removing the plugin from IE or Firefox will NOT uninstall Skype from your computer - just the Skype browser plugin. In order to remove the plugin it basically comes down to removing the plugin from your specific browser (e.g. The idea is that you click the link, and voilà, you are automagically using Skype to make the call. In order to “facilitate” this for you, Skype installs a web browser add-on which function to turn practically every phone number you see in your web browser into a link. One of the ways Skype makes money is by having you call land lines from your computer. What do you think of this method of using Skype? Will it get you to start using Outlook.Skype is awesome, but when you install Skype you sometimes also wind up installing the Skype browser plugin (sometimes also called “Add-ons”). Until Outlook and Skype can do that, Gmail and Hangouts have the upper hand. For Gmail users, Hangouts just works no matter what. The main difference for the most part is that the Outlook/Skype tool is only available to those who are willing and able to install the plugin. I can't check this as I'm not a premium Skype subscriber, but I wouldn't expect this plugin to do more than the basics in this regard - there is certainly no obvious button to add new people to the call. It also may not work within the limited plugin. However Hangouts do allow you to add more people to your video calls for free (a limit of ten), which Skype doesn't allow without a premium fee. While you're busy checking your email it's quite easy to see if a contact is online and start a call or video chat in seconds.

From a regular user's perspective, the two are indeed much the same. Doubtless, Microsoft came up with this solution as a competitor to Gmail's Hangouts from within Gmail.

Skype web plugin not installing