Video chat features are set to become the killer app in the world of social media now that Facebook has announced a partnership with Skype to offer just such a product hard on the heels of one rolled out by its rival Google.
The deal means that Facebook's 750 million users will now be able to connect with friends via video and not just through posting messages and poking one another.
The tie-up comes just one week after Google announced its social service called Google+ to a small invited group of users.
The search giant's video offering called Hangout has received rave reviews so far. It allows up to 10 people to connect with one another at any one time while Facebook can only connect people on a one on one video chat.
But Skype's CEO Tony Bates told press reporters and bloggers at the event launch in California that other features are on their way. No prizes for what that means.
The timing of Facebook's announcement could not be more annoying for the company. Of course the Skype deal is not a response to Google and Facebook has been working on it for months.
But the last thing the social networking behemoth wants is the constant reference that Google, regarded as a Johnny-come-lately as far as social is concerned, got video chat out of the gate first.
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