• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, March 7, 2011

Internet calling service Skype is rolling out advertising for the first time this week that will appear in the "Home" tab of Skype for Windows. The tab provides a sponsored masthead unit expandable to 650 x 340 pixels for ads that include audio and video, as well as a click-to-call button. It allows people to share the ad via Facebook and Twitter or close it. Among the initial brands advertising are Groupon, Nokia, Universal Pictures and Visa.  

The company has also partnered with multi-chat service provider Meebo in the U.S., Ad2One in the U.K. and Stroer Interactive in Germany to sell advertising for Skype in each of their respective markets. 

"We believe our daily sponsorship ad from one brand per day is valuable for premiere advertisers, but doesn't detract from the experience for our users," stated Doug Bewsher, CMO for Skype. "We are just taking our first steps in this space, and we expect to test and learn a lot as we move forward."

After filing with the SEC for an IPO in August, Skype is holding off on the offering until the second half of 2011, according to a Wall Street Journal report in January.

After growing to 663 million registered users worldwide, mainly by providing a free Internet phone and video chat service, Skype has pushed to beef up revenues by introducing more paid services, as well as third-party advertising. In its March 4 SEC filing, the company reported $860 million in net revenue and a net loss of $7 million.