Microsoft Bing and Skype units tighten their ties

It's been a while since I've heard any of the Microsoft teams use the old "better together" rhetoric. But on March 27, the Bing team resurrected that old meme in discussing more cross-product synergies in the works between the two.

Over the next few days, Microsoft plans to add Skype credits to its Bing Rewards redemption center, according to a March 27 post on the Bing Community blog. In exchange for 100 Bing Rewards credits, users can get Skype Credits for up to 60 minutes of paid calling functionality on Skype. This includes the ability to call landlines or mobile phones; SMS to mobile phones directly; and/or set up a Skype To Go number and call abroad from any phone.

Bing Rewards is a program via which members can earn credits for rewards by conducting searches on Bing or trying out new Bing features.

Bing and Skype are also tying it up on the Bing Bar front. Skype has recently begun offering users the ability to easily download the Bing Bar -- a toolbar that includes links to Hotmail, breaking news on Bing, access to Facebook and more. According to the blog post, new Skype users "are being offered the Bing Bar at installation, and existing Skype users may also be offered it."

It sounds like there may be more, unspecified "better together" mash-ups coming between Bing and Skype in the future, from what the new blog post says. I'm thinking we'll see more Bing Mobile-Skype synergies on Windows Phone, for one. Any other guesses as to what else these two units may be teaming on?