Skype open to using FaceTime on iPhone, other devices
updated 01:45 pm EDT, Tue June 8, 2010
Skype hopes to spread FaceTime as standard
An insider at Skype today said the company would like to spread Apple's newly developed FaceTime video calls through other apps and platforms. The VoIP app developer wants to move the technology past the iPhone 4 to other platforms. The unnamed Pocket-lint source said Skype would "welcome the opportunity" to collaborate with Apple on getting FaceTime into the Skype iPhone app and would also likely spread to other hardware. Desktops and TVs were among the likely candidates.
There wasn't any sign of how close Skype was to reaching a deal, if any, nor when it would implement the feature. The company just recently began offering two-way video on the Nokia N900 and has been planning to expand the feature to other platforms, but the absence of a front camera and any official support for video chat has made development for the iPhone impractical until now.
FaceTime has been pitched as an open standard and would be relatively simple to implement as it uses SIP, a standard common for VoIP chat. It also uses H.264 video and AAC video, either of which aren't necessarily royalty-free but are ubiquitous online.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Feb 2010
"... either of which aren't..."
- Scratch that, reverse it: "... neither of which are..."
- Or better yet, reword a bit: "both of which may be subject to royalty fees..."
- drop "necessarily" as it's confusing and, ironically, unnecessary