Last week, Facebook head honcho Mark Zuckerberg teased that his company was about to "launch something awesome." On Wednesday, he unveiled the awesomeness, delivering a handful of new Facebook features. First and foremost among them, Skype video chat will be integrated into the mammoth social network. But, given the widespread availability of video chat on a number of platforms, some aren't so sure Zuckerberg delivered on his big promise. Is Facebook video chat really so awesome? (Watch an AP report about Facebook's new feature.)
Yes... from a business standpoint: This could be "really really sexy and exciting," says Patricia Handschiegel at Daily Patricia. The telecom industry is on edge of a major shakeup. With features like Skype-integrated video chat, "Facebook could become telecom competition, or even better for investors, a telecom acquisition." It's still early on, but change is imminent. "For almost a decade, carriers have kept voice calling via the internet mostly to themselves. Now, Facebook is going to put it at the fingertips of its hundreds of millions of users.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
