Microsoft is busy executing its vision of unification under the banner of Microsoft 365.

There are a few products cluttering up my notification tray, and they all come from Microsoft. Why not combine these into a unified Microsoft 365 sync/action interface?

This would be the starting point for making a fluid experience that would:

Combine Yammer, Teams, SfB , Skype Consumer;
Combine SharePoint, OneDrive for Business, OneDrive Consumer;
Combine Office Portal/Search, Office 365 Desktop Apps, and Windows mail/ Windows consumer apps;
Potentially even combine Dynamics 365 tasks, MS Project tasks, Flow approvals, To-Do tasks, SharePoint Task Lists, etc.

This new "Microsoft 365 Client" would provide an all-in-one starting point for actions related to my productivity. It wouldn't be a complete client, but it would provide a single place to sign-in, configure presence, configure device associations, set up client software, manage installed software, etc. Essentially, something between Action Centre, Ninite, Windows Defender Security Centre, and Microsoft To-do.

There would still be a need for seperate client executables, but all notifications & presence would be unified behind this app. Such an app could also provide context for which app should be used where, guidance, and provide composites between the applications to prevent things from getting lost.

Skype is, still, used by a huge amount of users so it deserves a real native version for each device/platform.

A native application is also the only want to keep Skype small, fast and lag free on the less powerful devices.

A native application is also needed to take full advantage of each platform, and to make sure look like a iPhone app on iPhone and as an Android app on Android.

Skype is a communication system that need to integrate very closely with the device and operating system where it is installed. Skype should behave as the built in phone app, it should be as quick, stable and lag free as it is. Skypa message functionality should behave and be just as quick as the built in sms message feature on a mobile device.

Skype need to integrate with the contacts on the device and be able to display them on a moment notice, without any lag.

All this is only possible with a native application on each device/os.

Dont make any assumption on how Skype is used!

First priority should be to make Skype the best rich text message tool there is. It should be fast, efficient and highly configurable. Make all "bloat" like emojis, avatars, profile pictures and other non essential stuff optional opt-in settings. That is, by default use a plain listbox for contacts and form with a listbox, and editbox and a send button for chatting with a contact. K.I.S.S.

Second, make skype the best voice communication application out there by, again, remove all "bloat". Keep the GUI clean, simple, productive and intuitive. Less is more. Remember, a phone used to only have the numbers 0 to 9 on them, and they almost never failed.
When in a voice call there is no need to change the chat window...therebis no need to split the chat window and show a useless avatar of the one im calling on half the window. Instead, all that's needed is a small graphical indication that there is also a voice channel active for the current chat window.

And finally, video calls and screen sharing. Again make all non-essential stuff an opt-in setting. There is very little to gain from showing my avatar in the corner when someone is sharing a desktop.
When in a video call, split the chat window horizontaly in two sections, video in the top part and the text chat in the lower. Make it possible to separate the video in to its own window so it can be moved to another screen, and when doing so, the chat window goes back tonite normal look.
Make sure there are basic controls for the video, like brightness, contrast and gamma (gamma is really essential)

Dont assume there is only one audio device, only one screen, same resolution on all screens, one audio input, one audio output.
Dont assume the same devices, inputs and outputs will be used during the whole session, new microphones can be connected, usb hub with many new hardware can be connected, a laptop can be unlocked loosing all current graphic cards and screens and gaining a completely new one, with new audio input and output at the same time.

Dont assume consistent performance, battery saving technology can.impress both cpu and memory performance, as well as disk io performance.

Dont assume the same network device will be used during the whole session . Skype must be able to handle a call on a docked laptop connected to the internet via a ethernet, and then, without dripping the call, handle the undock event where the ethernet connection just disappears and a WiFi connection appears. Skype need to make this transmission seamless to the user. The same goes when a mobile device switches from WiFi to a cellular network.

To make aure you have all this under full control you need to have fully native applications of Skype on each and every platform. Just forget about Electron, it will NEVER provide the level of control needed to get all of this to smoothly and in a stable and predictable way.

Most of the time Skype is running in the background as non-active application. When it does and is idle (not processing user input), it should consume zero cpu and have a minimal footprint.

Skype need to be able to keep the most essential parts from getting swapped out to ensure a snappy, fast and lag-free response when a a call or message is received, or when the user wants to interact with the Skype application.

When Skype is active it still need to use minimal cpu and memory, so to not interfere with other activities the user is doing while using Skype.