How to View Your Outlook Contacts in Skype

As Microsoft Outlook has revolutionized how we view our email, contacts and calendar, Skype plans on revolutionizing how we make telephone calls. Recognizing that they won't be able to "retrain" Outlook users, Skype decided to make Outlook contacts easily accessible to its users with an import feature. A few clicks of the mouse, a minute or two of your time and you'll be able to call anyone in your Outlook phone book through your computer via Skype.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with Internet access
• Skype account

Instructions

1. Open Skype following the Windows>Programs>Skype path on Windows machines or Applications>Skype on Mac computers.

2. Click "Contacts" on the text menu along the top of your Skype application window.

3. Select "Import Contacts" from the drop-down menu that appears.

4. Click "Start."

5. Select the address book you wish to import (Microsoft Office Outlook, for most users).

6. Click "Next."

7. Check the box in the pop-up menu, then click the "Yes" button.

8. Choose "Next" from the Skype window.

9. Import all of your Outlook contacts by clicking the "Select All" button, or select contacts individually by clicking the check box in front of each name you want to import.

10. Click "Next."

11. Enter a greeting message, your name and email address on the next Skype menu to invite your Outlook contacts to join Skype.

12. Click "Next," then "Finish."

Tips & Warnings

• If you have just a few contacts that you do not wish to import, you can click "Select All" and then uncheck the boxes in front of the names you don't want to import.

• As soon as your Outlook contacts join Skype, you'll find them on your Contacts tab in the middle of your Skype window.

• Until your Outlook contacts join Skype, you can temporarily create a new contact for them. To do this, select "Contacts" from the menu bar, then choose "Add Contact." Enter their name and telephone number (including area code) and click "Add Number."