Facebook is partnering with Skype to offer its 750 million users the ability to have live video chats with one another for free.
By Jessica Guynn, Los Angeles Times
In a bid to become the hub of communication on the Web, Facebook, the worlds largest social network, is partnering with Skype to offer its 750 million users the ability to have live video chats with one another for free.The video calling feature, which became available on Wednesday, is likely to prompt many Facebook users to spend more time online and even less time on the phone.
Were using the best technology out there for video chat with the best social technology,” Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said during a news conference Wednesday at the companys Palo Alto headquarters.
The move intensifies the already heated rivalry with Internet search giant Google Inc., which last week launched its own social networking service, called Google+. It includes a video chat feature for as many as 10 people called Hangouts. Google also offers Web calls through its email service Gmail.
Apple Inc. added a video chat feature to the iPhone a year ago.
For its part, Facebook touted the ease of use of the new Skype feature, which with just one click allows one-on-one video chat.”This is by far the easiest way to get connected by video,” Facebook engineer Philip Su said as he detailed how it worked at Wednesdays news conference. “If it were any easier than this one click, it would be reading your mind.”
Continues at: Facebook, Skype: Facebook unveils video chat with Skype – latimes.com.
Related articles
- HOW TO: Launch Facebook Skype Video Chat [PICS] (policyabcs.wordpress.com)
- Facebook Announcement: Skype-Powered Video Chat (huguesrey.wordpress.com)
- Gizmodo: Facebook + Skype Video Chat = “Something Awesome” (Updated: Hands-On) (lennyesq.wordpress.com)
- Facebook Introduces Skype Video Chat – Watch Live Video Announcement! (binsidetv.net)
- Facebook launches video-chat with a little help from Skype (itoddaily.com)
- Facebook Video Chat Feature Unveiled (sfist.com)
- Facebook Brings Video Chat Into Mainstream (newser.com)
- >Facebook Launched Video Chat With Skype Partnership (pctricksnhacks.wordpress.com)
- Facebook Announces New Skype Video Chat Feature (hiphopwired.com)
- Facebook Unveils Skype-Powered Video Chat (blippitt.com)
