Facebook, Skype team up for video calling to compete with Apple’s FaceTime

“Facebook announced on Wednesday that it is partnering with Skype to bring video calling to the social networking service, a feature that will compete with Apple’s own FaceTime,” AppleInsider reports.

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“The new video calling feature was unveiled by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at a presentation at his company’s headquarters on Wednesday,” AppleInsider reports. “Zuckerberg said Facebook’s partnership with an outside company like Skype, which was recently bought by Microsoft, is important because it represents his company’s belief that individual applications are best created by those who specialize in them.”

AppleInsider reports, “Of course, Apple has its own video chat protocol designed to be simple and easy for end users: FaceTime. That Apple-only service is available on iOS devices with forward-facing cameras, namely the iPhone 4, iPad 2, fourth-generation iPod touch. It can also be used on Macs with Apple’s FaceTime application. But while FaceTime is available on mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad, Zuckerberg said Wednesday that Skype video chat in Facebook is a Web-only feature ‘for now,’ meaning it will not be available in Facebook’s iPhone application.”

Read more in the full article here.

33 Comments

  1. Yea they pretty much had to because google had video parties on it now and it’s integrated with YouTube, kinda neat but makes sense that Facebook would quickly roll this out before google really opens up.

  2. “…..Skype, which was recently bought by Microsoft, is important because it represents his company’s belief that individual applications are best created by those who specialize in them…..”

    u-hhhh … so can someone tell me just when M$ became “specialists” in video conferencing ?? …

    And when you think about this recent MDN article … u-hhh no thanks !

    (Stick with “FaceTime” ™ )

  3. So, Facebook and Skype team up, and the common denominator is Microsoft since they bought Skype and own 10% of Facebook.

    Apple is more closely integrating Twitter. And, Google is getting all plussy. This may turn out to be a 3 headed fight, afterall.

  4. Just what you want: Fuckerberg’s pristine ethics and MS’s newly blessed method, “Legal Intercept”, of quietly eavesdropping on your Skype call. I’m in! Where do I sign up?

  5. I use Facetime because my whole family is on macs and iphones etc. It just is easier. But i have to say my son and I tried google + Hangout( their video) and it worked like a charm. And to be able to watch a You Tube video while we chat is very cool too. I think with all three of these big guns getting into videochat the day of Jetson’s conversation has finally arrived. This competition between these guys is a good thing for us.

  6. Apple should just relase a FaceTime for windblows client.

    I don’t use Facebook, nor skype, but many do. More than FaceTime.
    If apple wants FaceTime to get bigger, they’ll need the windblows client to do so. Soany people see the front camera on the iPhone 4 as a “skype” camera.. Not a FaceTime camera.

  7. I already feel like facebook is the new myspace. they are getting more intrusive. Facebook tracks your web usage through thru their like scripts and keep them for months and months.

    I was tired of years ago, now its a pain in the ass. I am glad even apple snubbed them and went with twitter.

  8. I think Jobs knew what Suckerberg and Ballmer were up to about this five seconds after they thought of it, which maybe explains Apple’s support for Twitter, but not facebook. The microsoft connection adds a dark tint to this, but eventually someone had to make a video chat that didn’t require both sides to be on the same OS.

    1. My understanding is that Facebook was supposed to be part of the Ping announcement and was yanked last min as FB wouldn’t bend on the same things Apple wouldn’t bend on. I think that’s were the Twitter integration comes from. That and Twitter is strong in demographics the iPhone is weak. African Americans for example.

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