A few minutes ago, something pretty cool happened. Someone, somewhere in the world, downloaded the billionth copy of Skype.

It took us three and a half years, from August 2003 to February 2007, to reach the 500 million download mark, and then just 19 months for another 500 million copies to be downloaded. That’s a pretty dizzying feat for a five year old software company, and one that we’re all very proud of.

What’s more exciting, though, is what’s in store for the future. Our ambition to make Skype available on as many devices as possible and initiatives like the Skype for Asterisk beta announced on Thursday underline our dedication to bringing people closer to their friends, loved ones and colleagues – anywhere in the world; at work, home or play; and on any device.

Here’s to the next billion