Skype voices support for Apple's FaceTime video calls

VoIP calling firm Skype said it plans to work with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) in support of the company's new video calling service--dubbed FaceTime--that the smartphone maker debuted alongside its new iPhone 4 device.

"Based on Apple's statement about FaceTime being an open platform, we are looking forward to see how this process unfolds," said a Skype spokesperson. "We look forward to working with Apple to bring the best possible mobile video calling experience not only to the millions of Skype users on the iPhone around the world, but also to the countless more making video calls on desktops, TVs and other connected devices."

The news is notable as Skype offers one of the most widely used video calling services on the Internet--though the function currently does not extend to the company's popular iPhone VoIP calling application. Indeed, Skype said that, in the fourth quarter of 2009, Skype users made 36.1 billion minutes of Skype-to-Skype calls--and over one-third of those were video calls. Thus, Skype's support of Apple's FaceTime offering could help give the nascent service a boost.

Further, according to Pocket-lint, Skype already supports video calling on the Nokia (NYSE:NOK) N900.

Apple announced FaceTime as part of the unveiling of its next iPhone, iteration No. 4, though the service currently will be limited initially only to iPhone 4 devices running over WiFi. During his presentation of the service, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said the company would make its video-calling technology free for other firms to use, in an effort to expand the number of people iPhone 4 users can place video calls to.

Interestingly, though, it's unclear whether iPhone 4 users will be able to place video calls to users of the nation's other major video calling phone: the WiMAX-capable HTC Evo for Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S). When questioned whether Qik--the technology supplier of the Evo's video calling service--would support Apple's FaceTime service, a Qik spokesperson hedged: "Once it's available, we will definitely evaluate it."

Finally, what of AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T), the exclusive U.S. carrier for the iPhone 4? AT&T has long offer its Video Share service, which enables one-way, live streaming video feeds that can be seen by both users while they are participating in a two-way voice conversation. The service allows either party to be the one generating the video stream for the other to see, and is currently available in all of the carrier's 3G markets nationwide and on many 3G handsets (but not the iPhone).

When asked whether AT&T would integrate FaceTime support into its Video Share service, a spokeswoman said no. "We have no plans to do so at this time," she said.

For more:
- see this Pocket-lint article
- see this Apple FaceTime promotional video
- see details of AT&T's Video Share

Related articles:
Qik Video premieres on Sprint EVO 4G
Mobile video calling: Possible, but not necessarily worth it
Apple unveils iPhone 4, adds video calling feature

Article updated June 9 to clarify Skype's position and include an updated statement from Skype.