Facebook – best for boosting your social life – moves to keep up with Google+ and Airtime by partnering up with Skype and offering users video calls.

Video popularity is sky-rocketing so it makes complete sense that video calls are the wave of the business future. But what does this really mean from a business perspective?

Increased Business Mobility

Business is already going digital with an increase in cross collaboration and tech tools. We all know that you no longer need to be in an office to work. Even die-hard traditional employer types are becoming more open to the idea of a flexible business environment. One of the weightier concerns of these conservative types was accountability and face-to-face time. Some employers feel that if you’re not in an office, you’re not working. Video chat enables some peace of mind by allowing face time (no pun intended) with co-workers.

Facebook for Business Needs

Now the question is, why wouldn’t users just stick with Skype rather than connecting professionally on Facebook? The answers are simple.

First and foremost, Skype is dead. Sure, Skype is a great service still used by millions, but it’s quickly being replaced by FaceTime. Furthermore, modern users (and especially on the go business types) aren’t interested in dealing with yet another program that takes up memory and requires separate log ins. While it’s efficient and brilliant, Skype alone isn’t as cutting edge as our fast paced society demands. Simpler, faster, better will always win – and so will a partnership between a much-loved video tool (Skype) and the most used portal (Facebook).

Users are already on Facebook, and despite popular opinion, many people do use Facebook for business networking. Evolving a platform you’re already on into one you can do everything on, is a natural progression.

Business Goes Social

Does being on Facebook for business mean that business is going social? Yes!

Business is now more social than never. Business executives know that we can’t be at every networking event and merging schedules for meetings and networking is not as easy as it once was. A lot more is demanded of our time these days. It makes perfect sense to take advantage of a portal everyone is already on, and to use that social portal and social influence to benefit your business needs.

Using social channels to do business also helps promote familiarity with your business and brand. Your clients will feel more confident knowing they can access you simply from the comfort of their own home or office. Expect engagement to go up as users increase interaction since the method of engagement is woven into the digital fabric of their daily lives, Facebook. Just about everyone uses Facebook at an average of once per day. Ask yourself how much more likely you are to maintain relationships, satisfy clients and close deals if you’re integrated into how your end audience navigates through their day. It’s not just about your convenience, but also (and more importantly) their convenience.

The Verdict Isn’t in Just Yet

Facebook has already beaten out a withered Google+ in the video chat department. However, the verdict isn’t in just yet on whether it’s top dog – or on how long it remains there. There’s still the very formidable Airtime to contend with. Airtime allows video chats without requiring any downloads, and it’s already integrated a “login with Facebook” feature that brings convenience into the equation.

The fact that Airtime is still a viable opponent means that Facebook has to offer more than just a brilliant Skype partnership. It needs to bring more to the table, including possibly offering collaboration tools into its video feeds.