Today marks internet video calling tool Skype's 10th year since its launch in 2003.
Using the anniversary as a launch-pad, Skype has also announced that 3D video calls are under development.
Further reading Cisco goes to court to annul Microsoft's Skype acquisition Microsoft silent over claims it re-architected Skype to enable government eavesdropping - UPDATE Microsoft finalises Skype acquisition for £5.3bn
But the firm told the BBC that it could be some years before the new technology is available to consumers.
"We've done work in the labs looking at the capability of 3D-screens and 3D-capture," said Microsoft's corporate vice-president for Skype, Mark Gillett.
"We've seen a lot of progress in screens and a lot of people now buy TVs and computer monitors that are capable of delivering a 3D image.
"But the capture devices are not yet there. As we work with that kind of technology you have to add multiple cameras to your computer, precisely calibrate them and point them at the right angle.
"We have it in the lab, we know how to make it work and we're looking at the ecosystem of devices and their capability to support it in order to make a decision when we might think about bringing something like that to market."
Rick Puskar, senior vice president, global portfolio management, Siemens Enterprise Communications, explained that Skype is still very much as a consumer tool rather than something aimed at business, despite the Microsoft acquisition.
"While Skype has revolutionised the way that families and friends can communicate, cheaply and easily, worldwide, it is still seen as a B2C solution and not a B2B resource. Apple FaceTime is another clear example of how consumers are embracing video conferencing into their personal lives, but just as BYOD has blurred the lines between work and home, video conferencing capabilities need to improve to enable users to seamlessly shift between corporate calls and family catch ups.
"The consumerisation of mobile devices has had a considerable impact on the way that we communicate in and out of work. With video conferencing and video telephony driving the trend of mobile working, it is imperative for employees to have a reliable, secure and efficient service. This will allow mobile teams to interact and collaborate with colleagues in different countries, just as easily as staying in touch with family abroad. So why hasn't B2B been embraced with the same enthusiasm?
"Research from Siemens Enterprise Communications reveals that 72 per cent of users would find teamwork easier if collaboration included video, which is not surprising as 79 per cent of respondents are always or frequently working in a virtual team. There is a huge opportunity for businesses to make the most of rich multi-media and existing peer-to-peer technologies. I'm confident that video is a catalyst that will bridge that gap and offer a richer personal approach and before we know it we will all be discussing the B2B verb of video conferencing."
Skype was previously purchased by eBay for £1.6bn in 2005, then acquired by an investment group in 2009, led by Silver Lake.
