Microsoft continues work on Skype, its VoIP client that's available on virtually all platforms out there, including desktop and mobile, so Windows users today received a new build that comes with bug fixes and performance improvements.

Skype 6.18 for Windows desktop is specifically designed to squash some bugs and improve reliability on Windows, but it's not yet clear whether Microsoft also introduced any new features or options.

The software giant usually releases a changelog soon after the new Skype version is being rolled out, but this time no such document has been provided, which makes us believe that the new build is mostly supposed to address bugs and other issues reported by users in the previous builds.

What's more surprising, however, is that Microsoft improves the Skype for Windows desktop client at a slower pace than the Mac version, which has already reached version 6.19.

As far as the Windows version is concerned, the application continues to work flawlessly on all Windows builds on the market, including the old XP, which no longer receives updates and security patches since April 8. One would expect Microsoft to remove Windows XP support from all of its apps, but Skype is clearly a very popular program among users still running the ancient platform, so the company doesn't want to cut down its user base all of a sudden.

Windows 8, on the other hand, has two different versions of Skype, one that runs on the desktop and received the update we are telling you about today and another one that's specifically designed for the Modern UI and comes with a touch-optimized interface and offers support for Windows RT too.

This second build of Skype is now the default messaging client in Windows 8.1 and allows users to call contacts and phone numbers found online with just a single tap, which does nothing more than to emphasize that Skype remains a key product for the software giant.

On the other hand, Skype has also caused some problems for Microsoft, with documents that reached the web as part of the PRISM saga pointing out that Redmond collaborated with US intelligence agencies to spy on users and their conversations made through the app. Microsoft quickly denied all these claims and said that it's only sharing user data with the US government based on court orders.

In the meantime, everyone can get the new version of the application from our website, so download Skype 6.18 for Windows right now to see what it brings new.