Comcast's Skype TV calling could be a hit

June 14, 2011, 6:16 PM — Comcast subscribers will before long have the option to place video calls through their television, thanks to a partnership with VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) provider Skype announced on Tuesday. Clients will need additional equipment to use the new feature.

Like the caller ID functionality supported for traditional phone calls, Skype calls will as well appear in a similar manner. The service's instant messaging feature will as well work when used with the special remote, which will include an integrated QWERTY keyboard.

While Comcast's offering all in all suffers from the downfall of other current on-TV video calling services--the need for additional hardware--it does have one thing going for it: the cable provider's wide reach. Comcast had near 23 million subscribers at the end of last year, almost double that of its closest competitor.

Other video calling services simply do not have this reach. Take, for instance, Cisco's recently announced product dubbed 'Umi.' In other words a completely standalone service, and cost $599 for the set top box alone and an additional $24.99 monthly for service when it was introduced in October.

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Your communications system unites your employees, clients, customers, partners and suppliers. It should offer opportunities for increased productivity and organizational growth. This paper will help you determine the best communications solution for your practice or business.

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