Facebook and Skype to integrate voice chat, SMS
updated 12:00 pm EDT, Wed September 29, 2010
Facebook and Skype to collaborate
Facebook and Skype will mesh their two services more closely together in a symbiotic relationship, sources told AllThingsD. Facebook users could soon send SMS messages and hold voice chats using the Skype interface, as Skype would become a Facebook Connect member. Video chats will also be part of the new functionality in Skype with integrated Facebook contacts, though none of this has been officially confirmed by either Facebook or Skype.
The features will arrive in Skype 5.0, which is currently in beta and is expected to be released in a complete version in the next few weeks.
The partnership will have distinct advantages for both parties. Skype will bolster its reach to another 500 million Facebook users, adding to the currently 506 million registered users, though there could be redundancies. At the same time, Skype has more users around the world, helping Facebook expand its global membership.
