Facebook has reached an agreement with Skype that will make it easier for users to call and video chat with friends and family on the social-networking site. This would mean access to around 1 billion users of Facebook and Skype put together and is seen as a way of expanding both organisation’s reach in Europe and America.
In addition, the deal will see the new Skype 5.0 for Windows include a Facebook tab which will allow Skype users to interact with their Facebook news feed by posting status updates and commenting. Furthermore, the Facebook phonebook in the Skype application will allow users to make group video calls (in beta), phone and text their Facebook friends directly on their mobile phones and landlines.
Although, the communications market is being dominated by telephone companies at the moment, the Facebook and Skype partnership has been predicted by some analysts to be the beginning of a wave of change that will lead to a re-definition of the way the telecommunication’s industry operate. Already, of the 560 million registered Skype users, 8.1 million are paying users with an average of 520 million minutes spent talking on the service everyday.
Talking Point
Do you use Skype to make voice calls over the Internet? How will the Skype-Facebook partnership affect you?
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Infrared Heaters
October 19, 2010 at 3:04 am
This could really be huge. I’m not into Facebook, but I’ve been a Skype fan for several years now, but my (arrgghhh!) slow rural internet has prevented me from leveraging its full potential. I wonder if Mark Zuckerburg is thinking about fending off a challenge from Google, which would be well-positioned to take a substantial share of the social media market, if they could just get their act together. If and when they do come up with an offering that successfully, seamlessly integrates voice, video chat, email and texting – look out Facebook & Twitter!
Computers Smart Phones Technology
October 20, 2010 at 9:30 pm
This is a great development, the partnership is going to change lots of thing in the telecommunication industry, and hope both Skpye and Facebook can deal with the number of user when this partnership start.
I used Skpye voice and video to communicate a lots and I hope Skpye 5 will be develop to accommodate traffic that the partnership is going to pool.
Cherry
February 8, 2011 at 4:23 am
Yes, i use skype to make internet call, but facebook and skype partnership does not affect me so much as I expected, because I use gmail talk more often and it’s very convenient.
Maggie
March 17, 2011 at 9:12 pm
It’s not surprising with the popularity of both Facebook and Skype that they would team up together. However, in using Facebook, I really haven’t noticed a difference in service. Have they brought it live yet, or is it still on hold?