Since Microsoft acquired Skype and the company released the Kinect, we have been waiting for Microsoft to announce that it was bringing Skype communication to the Xbox 360 platform. While that still is rumored to be in the cards in the future, we now know that Microsoft will continue its efforts to consolidate all of its communication platform technology by using Skype technology to power the communication technology for the Next Xbox, or Xbox 720, on the Xbox Live service that will power the new console.

The consolidation of Skype as its preferred platform will also see the Skype or Skype technology finding its way as the default communicator for Windows PCs and tablets. We also suspect that we will see it come to Windows Phone as well.

The confirmation of Microsoft’s plans came by way of a recent job posting where the company is pitching that the individual that they are looking for will be on a team that is responsible for Skype in the living room (broadly the home), across various devices, with a focus on the large screen and next generation of Xbox. The job is in Microsoft’s UK-based Skype offices.

Microsoft picked up Skype back in 2011; and since then it has been rumored that Microsoft would bring Skype to the current Xbox 360 platform, but despite some hints that it might be coming, no official announcement ever came. We do suspect however, that it might still end up happening, but it is becoming likely now that it will be after the Next Xbox is released as well as the enhanced version of Xbox Live that is expected to be featured as part of the launch of the Next Xbox.