Facebook Announces Video Calling and Group Chat (without the Group)

Eight minutes before 1:00pm EST  and there are 7705 viewers, wait now 7830 viewers, no 7887 viewers.  Think this is going to be big?? At the high-point of the announcement, there were almost 52,000 people watching the livestream.

How many people already read the hints out before today that there is now a connection between Facebook and Skype.  Well, there’s not just ONE big announcement, but THREE!  One is the obvious Skype and Facebook.  The other two, well, we’re still waiting.

And here comes the announcement… at 1:14, they start!

Launching Season 2011

Over the next coming weeks and months, there is a lot to be rolled out!

Social Media has changed the world in the last five years… no kidding.  But, Mark Zuckerberg thinks that the “new” chapter of Social Media is over. Companies that are “best in class” want to know how to share their products in a social way.

He’s talking about changing the infrastructure of what they have based on users (people) and how they share based on underlying trends and the rate at which they share.

Next FIVE YEARS

PRIVATE COMMUNICATION CHANNELS!

Group Chat is something that will be new for Facebook.  In addition, there will be a new design for this Chat options.

They will be doing Video Calling in coordination with Skype.

BOTTOM LINE??

There is more to come, but here is the bottom line…

1. Group Chat without having to be in a group
2. New Chat design for Chats within Facebook
3. Facebook has worked out an agreement with Skype to have Video Calling

The new Group Chat is Just like a Huddle from Google+. You can have multiple people chatting together, text style.

Video Calling is something you can do in one click. Start a chat and then click CALL. The question is can you have MULTIPLE PERSON video chat? Well, the answer was just suggested by the CEO of Skype… there will be a PAID version. Currently, there in Skype to have multiple video connections, you have to pay.  I’m sure that’s where this is going.

Facebook is focusing on what the possibilities are for the next five years.

WHEN??

All of this is being rolled out later today. There is a lot of “stuff” that isn’t there… “yet”, especially when it comes to the mobile applications. So, watching the growth and changes of Facebook will be interesting to see how and when everything REALLY comes together.

Mashable just asked about what they think of the Google+ Hangouts… and also what about group video.  ANSWER: He didn’t answer the question, he focused on their video being 1-to-1 and that’s what they are rolling out today.

What do you think? Let us know!