Facebook Inc. said it is integrating Skype video chat into its social network, firing another salvo at rival Google Inc. following the launch of a competing social-networking service.
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg announced a new video chat tool inside Facebook powered by Skype, calling it the beginning of a launching season for the social network, which now boasts 750 million users. WSJ's Shayndi Raice talks to Stacey Delo. Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's chief executive, said Wednesday his company will offer users the ability to chat one-on-one with their Facebook friends, only a week after Google debuted its own video-chat service through a new offering called Google+.
The new chat product, according to Facebook’s blog, will allow users to call their friends right from Facebook. The revamped chat system now includes a sidebar with “the people you message most.” It automatically appears when your browser is big enough.
Facebook announced on its blog.
“A few months ago, we started working with Skype to bring video calling to Facebook. We built it right into chat, so all your conversations start from the same place. To call your friend, just click the video call button at the top of your chat window.”
But Facebook didn't match one of the most notable features of Google's service—the ability for users to conduct video chats in groups through a feature it calls "Hangouts."
Mr. Zuckerberg said he sees Google+ as validation for Facebook's vision that the Web will become a more social experience. He also noted that Facebook has spent the last five years building up a user base, which Mr. Zuckerberg disclosed has now reached 750 million—up from recent estimates of about 600 million.
He said.
"I just think you're going to start seeing all these different companies building on top of that. I view a lot of this as validation that this is the wave of the next five years."
Facebook's video chat feature taps into Skype's communications network, which uses what the industry calls peer-to-peer technology to exchange data over the Internet between computers and mobile devices.
Neither company will reap any sort of financial benefit from the deal initially, but Skype Chief Executive Tony Bates said his company could eventually offer its paid products through Facebook. Facebook could potentially share in the revenue of such services, although the details haven't been worked out yet, a Facebook spokesman said.
Facebook said group chatting is being considered for future products. Philip Su, the chief engineer who lead the video initiative, said the company wanted to keep features to a minimum at launch to attract users who hadn't previously tried such services.
He said.
"We wanted to make it one click and you connect in thirty seconds."
Video chatting through the Web isn't new. Google began offering it through its email services, Gmail, in November 2008.
Facebook said it has been working with Skype on plans for video-chat integration for at least the past six months, which was well before Microsoft Corp. agreed to acquire Skype. The deal is still awaiting regulatory approval.
Mr. Bates said the day the acquisition was announced, his first meeting was with Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer and Mr. Zuckerberg. Mr. Bates said.
"For Steve and I, that was the most important strategic relationship."
Mr. Zuckerberg said the partnership with Skype wasn't predicated on Microsoft's participation, but having the software company in the background was reassuring. "It gives a sense of stability," Mr. Zuckerberg said.
Facebook has been working with Microsoft since 2007, when the software giant made a $240 million investment in Facebook. The companies deepened their ties last October, when Microsoft's Bing search engine began tapping into people's social connections on Facebook.
So how does Facebook's me-too video chat feature work? Here's are some screenshots:
Before you can participate in a video chat go to facebook.com/videocalling to enable your account. Click on "Get Started".
You'll need to install a program. The install option will popup when you click the video camera icon on the upper-right corner of the chat or receive a call.
As with a standard Skype call, no video launches until the second party answers the call.
If the person who you're calling doesn't answer, you can leave a message. This message will appear in their "Messages" tab, the same place that text messages do.
This is what the video chat window looks like.
COMMENTARY: When Zuck announced that he had something "awesome" to announce, we all waited with baited breath. The news announcement lost its awesomeness by rumors that Facebook would launch a video chat feature. This took some of the suspense from the final press conference.To tell you the truth, I was completely underwhelmed by the whole experience.
Let me tell you what this press conference was all about: Zuck is just pissed that Larry and Sergey have launched Google+. The company that "Does no evil" is still in the social networking game. He immediately responded by blocking the transfer of user friends data to Google+. He got even more pissed off when he discovered that Google+ offered a video chat feature. This undercut the "awesome" news that Facebook was adding a video chat feature of its own. A crushing blow to Zuck's ego.
In order to prop-up his crushed ego, Zuck announced that Google now has 750 million users, something that he never does. That has been Zuck's modus operandi--don't feed the media any information about Facebook's real numbers. This is nothing but an "intimidation statement" pure and simple. Those numbers are all bullshit. According to my estimate, Facebook reached a critical inflection point sometime in 2010 when user growth entered a prolonged period of slower growth in users and advertising revenues. It's membership is no longer growing exponentially because many geographical markets where Facebook has penetrated are now saturated. I estimated Facebook would do 760 million by the end of 2011, so when Zuck reported that 750 million figure I could not believe it, and I still don't. Facebook is losing users, not gaining them.
By making this historic announcement that Facebook now has 750 million users, Zuck is setting himself up for criticism when Facebook has their IPO sometime in early 2012. Then we will know the real truth about Facebook's numbers.
Courtesy of an article dated July 7, 2011 appearing in The Wall Street Journal's Technology and article dated July 6, 2011 appearing in Fast Company
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FB hasn't changed my life much. I rarely use it to connect or interact. I tweet. I just don't trust Zuck and his army of hackers.
Posted by: Tommy | 01/14/2012 at 10:21 AM
Admit it or not, it has change our daily lives.
Posted by: idaho dui lawyer | 01/12/2012 at 11:17 PM