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The Daily OrangeSkypeSpace | MySpace and Skype team up to create an Internet voice network, giving Facebook's applications new competition
By Mel Zilora
Posted: 10/23/07, 12:50 AM EST Section: News
The 220 million users of Skype can't be wrong, or so MySpace executives are hoping.
Skype, a popular video chat service, is teaming up with MySpace to provide video chatting straight from a user's MySpace page. Starting mid-November, users will be able to "Skype" each other using the MySpace instant messaging platform.
This will take MySpace's passive instant message feature to a new level - free internet voice and video.
Neither service has explicitly named the reason for the new partnership, but many suspect it is an attempt by MySpace to cut in on Facebook users.
Although MySpace is the world's largest social-networking site, boasting more than 100 million monthly users, more than 85 percent of college students use Facebook, a market domination that is hard to ignore.
MySpace dominates the "young adult" age group and has many middle school bloggers as well. However, MySpace struggles to retain users during their college years.
Roshni Bhambhwani is one of those users. Bhambhwani, a sophomore classics major, used MySpace in high school, but has since switched to Facebook.
"I think(MySpace) is skeevy and gross, and I feel safer using Facebook," she said.
When asked if the addition of Skype would encourage her to return, Roshni replied, "Hell, no! That's like stalker times 10."
For Tyler Houston, an undecided freshman, MySpace is "perfect" for its original purpose - band communication. The artist pages on the site were its primary foundation.
Houston's band, Wyldlife, uses MySpace to demo new songs and communicate with its fans.
"We use it primarily for booking, but it also gives fans a sense of what we're like," Houston said.
However, he sees the partnership as an attempt to broaden MySpace's base of users past the music world.
"It's going to help MySpace socially. … The fact that people will be able to video chat; it's not like Facebook's walls. I really see MySpace taking the lead with this approach."
If MySpace has taken the lead for now, this puts the pressure on Facebook to improve its own messaging features. Though Facebook may dominate the college audience, a video chatting application on its side could be just around the corner.
Skype, a popular video chat service, is teaming up with MySpace to provide video chatting straight from a user's MySpace page. Starting mid-November, users will be able to "Skype" each other using the MySpace instant messaging platform.
This will take MySpace's passive instant message feature to a new level - free internet voice and video.
Neither service has explicitly named the reason for the new partnership, but many suspect it is an attempt by MySpace to cut in on Facebook users.
Although MySpace is the world's largest social-networking site, boasting more than 100 million monthly users, more than 85 percent of college students use Facebook, a market domination that is hard to ignore.
MySpace dominates the "young adult" age group and has many middle school bloggers as well. However, MySpace struggles to retain users during their college years.
Roshni Bhambhwani is one of those users. Bhambhwani, a sophomore classics major, used MySpace in high school, but has since switched to Facebook.
"I think(MySpace) is skeevy and gross, and I feel safer using Facebook," she said.
When asked if the addition of Skype would encourage her to return, Roshni replied, "Hell, no! That's like stalker times 10."
For Tyler Houston, an undecided freshman, MySpace is "perfect" for its original purpose - band communication. The artist pages on the site were its primary foundation.
Houston's band, Wyldlife, uses MySpace to demo new songs and communicate with its fans.
"We use it primarily for booking, but it also gives fans a sense of what we're like," Houston said.
However, he sees the partnership as an attempt to broaden MySpace's base of users past the music world.
"It's going to help MySpace socially. … The fact that people will be able to video chat; it's not like Facebook's walls. I really see MySpace taking the lead with this approach."
If MySpace has taken the lead for now, this puts the pressure on Facebook to improve its own messaging features. Though Facebook may dominate the college audience, a video chatting application on its side could be just around the corner.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Jin
posted 10/23/07 @ 7:54 PM EST
Hi, just for accuracy, Skype and MySpace announced the integration of voice calling capabilities. Video chatting is not available in the first release. (Continued…)
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