Skype to Add Video Calling App for iPhone, iPod Touch

Skype, the innovative Internet calling service, is set to offer a video chat application that will run on iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. This will be the first true video calling for iPhone and its cousins, since the current FaceTime system does not allow non-members to participate. You can only make a Facetime call if you have an iPhone or iPod Touch enabled with FaceTime, and, as this writer knows, it can get pretty lonely out there when there is such a small base of potential callers to draw on.

The new Skype app will bring free video calling to appropriate Apple mobile products. Even iPad users will be able to use it, although they won't be able to initiate the call—they still can receive video chats from contacts. The app will work over both 3G and Wi-Fi networks, allowing users to access the feature across a variety of connections. It will allow users to turn on the video feature to activate any video chats from contacts.

The new app is compatible with iPhone 4, iPhone 3Gs, and the 4th Generation iPod Touch with iOS 4.0 and above. Users can receive video chat on the 3rd Generation iPod Touch and iPad. (These are without front and rear cameras.) Calls can also be made between devices using the new Skype for iPhone app and desktops using Skype for Windows, Skype for Mac, Skype for Linux and ASUS Videophone.

Video calling may be coming soon to Android phones, as well. Rich Osterloh, Vice President of consumer products for Skype told TechCrunch that "Mobile is going to be big for Skype. We are making sure Skype is with you wherever you are and mobile will be the place where that happens as smartphones get more powerful."

Osterloh also said Apple was helpful in getting the videophone app to market, which means the company didn't worry that it competed with FaceTime.

All this comes about after a disastrous week for Skype, when outages had regular customers reeling. It turned out that a Windows client bug was responsible for the mess that upset tens of millions of users.

Skype also hopes to use its video conferencing feature for corporate clients for conferencing purposes.

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