Have you ever wanted to have a quick video chat with someone? Well most of the services require a full blown application (except SightSpeed which had web based video chat first on Windows machines.) Well Google has teamed up with Videyo and Global IP Solutions and enabled in the browser video chat for both Macs and PCs from within iGoogle.
That’s an ooglers best friend, because now if you want to have a fast face to face that may lead to more, all you need to do is click it.
Mashable’s Pete Cashmore raises some very valid criticisms of Google with regard to their failures in the Social Networking space (Jaiku comes to mind quickly) and points to the future of Google Wave. In part I agree with Pete, as the inability for Google to blend “not invented here” technologies, even Google Voice has to be viewed as a work in progress, points to a cultural issue. On the other hand, Google is constantly tossing out new services that may or may not catch on. In many ways they remind me of the way Yahoo behaved for many years when they were flush with cash from runaway ad sales, little competition and millions upon millions of eyeballs a day. In other ways Google reminds me of AOL-a company trying to do just about everything that allows them to have more of the audiences attention.
Personally, I like the idea of a browser based video client, but right now, Skype is winning the battle on the desktop for video because of one thing. The size of their user base. To firmly win that battle all Skype has to do is become SIP based and then everything works and talks to it. When that day comes, and I predict it will, it will be a big day forward for IP based Communications and Video calling will become as common as voice calls are today.
Andy,
Video calling probably won’t be as common as voice calls are today for a long time – no matter what Skype decides to do. There are other barriers to this technology – from the need of peripherals, to increased bandwidth and the need for users to get used to the video part of the conversation. And I am an avid supporter of video and use it daily.
As for Skype adopting SIP – that might not be their end-game move. I’ve written on a similarly regarding twitter and open source: As Skype has the largest user base, why the hell do they need to care about SIP?
Tsahi