Facebook Integrates Skype Services

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?