Microsoft's Bing search engine:
http://www.bing.com/ has been giving its users a chance to gain rewards such as Microsoft points when they participate in the Bing Rewards program.
Today, the official Bing blog announced that it is teaming up with another Microsoft division: http://www.bing.com/community/site_blogs/b/search/archive/2012/03/27/bing-and-skype-better-together.aspx , the recently acquired Skype Internet phone service, to offer its customers some new incentives.Bing Rewards members will soon be able to gain Skype credits while they are signed up for the program. The credits can be used to make international calls with Skype, calling landline or mobile phones with the software or used to access an official Skype WiFi hot spot. Bing users can gain Bing Rewards points by simply searching for items on Bing or trying out new Bing features. The blog states that Skype credits will be added to Bing Rewards "over the next few days."
In addition, new and current Skype software owners can now also download the Bing Bar for Internet Explorer for quick access to Bing Rewards or a number of other features. The blog also hints that more Bing-Skype team up projects may be in the works.
It will be interesting to see how Microsoft handles the new Skype division with even more tie ins to its various products, including Windows 8.
(NW)