Report: Facebook, Skype to Team Up, Integrate Products

Facebook and Skype are reportedly working on a partnership that would integrate the services via SMS, voice chat, and Facebook Connect, according to a Wednesday report from All Things D.

Under the deal, Skype would join Facebook Connect, a program that places Facebook content on third-party sites. Skype would also add a Facebook tab to its video chat so users could contact people on their Facebook friends list via Skype. The functionality would also be available for SMS, ATD's Kara Swisher wrote.

The Facebook functionality will be unveiled with Skype 5.0, which is expected to launch in the next few weeks.

As Swisher pointed out, the deal will help Skype reach an entirely new market, while Skype's international presence will help Facebook reach new users overseas.

A Skype spokesman said the company does not comment on rumor and speculation.

"We work with a lot of companies on Facebook integrations, but have nothing to announce with regards to Skype at this time," a Facebook spokeswoman said in a statement.

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Chloe Albanesius

Executive Editor, News

My Experience

I started out covering tech policy in DC for The National Journal, where my beat included state-level tech news and all the congressional hearings and FCC meetings I could handle. I later covered Wall Street trading tech before switching gears to consumer tech. I now lead PCMag's news coverage.

My Areas of Expertise

Getting my start in DC means I still have a soft spot for tech policy; Congressional hearings can sometimes be as entertaining as a Bravo reality show, for better or worse. But PCMag is all about the technology we use every day, as well as keeping an eye out for the trends that will shape the industry in the years ahead (or flop on arrival). I've covered the rise of social media, the iOS vs. Android wars, the cord-cutting revolution that's now left us with hefty streaming bills, and the effort to stuff artificial intelligence into every product you could imagine. This job has taken me to CES in Vegas (one too many times), IFA in Berlin, and MWC in Barcelona. I also drove a Tesla 1,000 miles out west as part of our Best Mobile Networks project. Of late, my focus is on our hard-working team of reporters at PCMag, guiding and editing their robust coverage.

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