Facebook and Skype on Thursday announced a partnership that will add Facebook features to the new version of Skype for Windows.
The deal will add the Facebook news feed to the Skype interface via a Facebook tab. Users can monitor the feed, post status updates, comment, and "like" things directly from Skype.
Skype also added "Facebook Phonebook" that will let users call and text Facebook friends directly on mobile phones and landlines with a few clicks. If a Facebook friend is also on Skype, the feature will allow for free Skype-to-Skype calls.
The updated Skype, meanwhile, includes a beta version of a new group video-calling feature. The free offering automatically moves the focus to the person talking to make it easier to follow. Video calling comprised 40 percent of Skype-to-Skype minutes in the first half of 2010, Skype said.
The revamped Skype also includes an updated user interface, which Skype said would make voice and video calling, IM, screen sharing, and file sharing more intuitive - dubbed Skype Home. Skype added photos or avatars next to people on the contact list, as well as a "mood message." There is also an automatic call recovery feature, which helps people re-connect if a faulty Internet connection drops the call. A call quality manager will also keep tabs of video and audio quality.
"We've simplified the user interface to provide a clean and more powerful communications experience," Skype said in a statement. "When you initiate a voice or video call with someone, users are provided an immersive call experience that reduces distraction. It's also faster to find existing contacts with pictures and avatars displayed next to contact names along with mood messages, and easier to find new contacts with real-time search."
The updated Skype is available for download now at Skype.com.
News of a Skype-Facebook matchup first emerged last month when All Things D's Kara Swisher reported about the possible deal.