[timmy t]

If Skype decides not to make an app for BB10 devices, maybe RIM can make apps for the Android and Apple platforms that will do video conferencing. They already have it for the Playbook and will have it for the BB10 product line.
That way they can just tell people to use their video chat app instead of Skype because it will handle all three platforms. Why would people care if they use Skype or some RIM app for their video conferencing?

[sam_b77]

That's the best idea yet.....

[timmy t]

Or maybe Microsoft has given RIM permission to tie into their Skype plumbing. Microsoft and RIM have just agree to share Microsoft's file technology so maybe they have agreed to this as well and just haven't announced it yet.

[pantlesspenguin]

I think people want Skype for video conferencing just because it's available on mobile, tablet, and pc. The only other one I can think of that is multi platform like that is Yahoo Messenger. I've used that a time or two and it's pretty decent. There are already other alternatives like Tango, and I don't think that gets used as much just because whoever you wanted to chat with would need it as well.

My company has an AWESOME video conferencing service. It offers tons of features that Skype doesn't offer. It's geared toward professional meetings, though, so there's a fee to use it. There's not an app for it for BB/PB yet, but if BB10 takes off I'm sure that'll change. I use it quite a bit (employees can use the service for free) and think it would be AWESOME on BB10.

[raino]

That's the best idea yet.....

as long as it's a standalone app, and not BBM as a whole being pimped out

[Toodeurep]

Anybody else looked at FaceFlow? I haven't been able to get the webcam on my PC to work with it yet but it does access the Playbooks front facing camera. Two conditions exist for its use, it is Flash and Web based for now.

[digitalman101]

I see no alternative to skype, due to its popularity. I will not be able to convince friends and co-workers to use any other real time communication suite, just because my bb does not support it.

Lets face it, even my Sony bravia supports skype... It is every where and at anytime.

[BB_Bmore]

Anybody else looked at FaceFlow? I haven't been able to get the webcam on my PC to work with it yet but it does access the Playbooks front facing camera. Two conditions exist for its use, it is Flash and Web based for now.

Been talking to the Dev of Faceflow and they went from all hands on deck for ios and android app to all hands on deck to BlackBerry10 app. I got him hooked up with Alec Saunders and he now has a dev alpha and a playbook being shipped to him for testing. He also told me that they should have the app ready for the Jan 21 deadline Rim put out to devs.

They will still be making the iphone and Android app but are focusing on the BlackBerry market first. The dev was surprised when I told him how well his program worked on the PlayBook browser and was also surprised at the lack of video chat apps for BlackBerrys new platform. This was what made them switch focus from IOS to BlackBerry. ,

He was very impressed how much Rim is doing for devs. I mean we start a chat via email and 2 days later he has a dev alpha and a PlayBook being shipped to him along with one on one help from some voip experts from BlackBerryDev.

Exciting times friends we may even see a FaceFlow app for PlayBook before the BlackBerry10 Launch.

[BB_Bmore]

The good thing about FaceFlow is all they have to do to is pull up a webpage,no need to download and install anything.

[Danilo Benites]

Hi, i am new to all this....I use skype to see my wife and kid, i have it on my laptop and my BB curve, and they have it on their computer, and any computer where they go, so other type for me would not be really good.... Anybody knows how to use Skype on the PB, specially to use video chat?
Thanks a lot.

[gokulesh]

@BB-Bmore: I too created a faceflow account, thanks for all your effort!!

I was also talking to the Danny Pelletier and he confirmed in an email to me that the app will launch with BB10. He also confirmed that even though faceflow works on PB browser they will start on the Playbook app as soon as the BB10 app is complete. Awesome to see some one stepping up to serve the BB community should MS choose not to. I run a study group for high school students and was planning to move online using skype. after i test it with my son, i am going to ask all the students to get a faceflow account and use it to conduct the study group. The students all use different platforms and since faceflow is going to be on all 3 major platforms (starting with BB10!) it should be awesome!

Of course the rest of the family and friends will slowly also move over since I don't intend to show up on skype.

G

[Xopher]

I've been really pleased with FaceFlow. Hopefully it catches on with multiple platforms and makes a good alternative to Skype.

[gokulesh]

@digitalman101: Sure it is popular. However, there are, I would assume, lots of use cases like mine. I have about 10 to 12 people on my skype list (+ the study group that i was going to create that i no longer will). i have already started to talk to them and move them over to faceflow. Once about 80% done I am off skype. Bye bye! The last one I need moved over is my elderly mom. Not all of these folks use BB. Use all three major platforms and since faceflow guys are going to support all 3 i see no issues.

Besides competition is good and MS needs to see traffic growth either slowing or starting to decrease to their competitors so that they understand that if they don't support BB others will and it is in their best interest to develop for BB too (assuming that they are not at the moment). Either way with the great news that faceflow will have an app for BB10 first and the fact that it works on desktops solves all my video chat problems.

G

[switcharoo]

I just tried FaceFlow and so far I like it. Very easy to set up and use.

[berklon]

I see no alternative to skype, due to its popularity. I will not be able to convince friends and co-workers to use any other real time communication suite, just because my bb does not support it.

Lets face it, even my Sony bravia supports skype... It is every where and at anytime.

This is the correct answer.

Almost all other platforms support Skype and it's the most popular for video conferencing for users. No-one's going to switch to another app just because the few people they know who have BB10 devices (when it's released) can't use Skype. Either BB10 has it or their sales will be hurt substantially without it. There's no way around it.

[pythons]

This is the correct answer.

Almost all other platforms support Skype and it's the most popular for video conferencing for users. No-one's going to switch to another app just because the few people they know who have BB10 devices (when it's released) can't use Skype. Either BB10 has it or their sales will be hurt substantially without it. There's no way around it.

That's calling it correctly - anything short of skype will perpetuate the publics view that RIM was to late to the smart phone evolution...
....And that there is no catching up for them to be able to do.
....Same goes for Netflix.

RIM absoultely MUST have the heavy hitter Apps that people frankly expect.....
...Remember, the people want tools not toys ( or excuses ).

[Toodeurep]

By your own logic perception > Skype. The lack of certain apps will not by itself hurt any platform nor shall their inclusion automaticaly equate to a platforms success. A good example of this is Microsoft. Microsoft not only has Skype, they own it. What people want changes and often people just want change. Only time will tell but for right now FaceFlow > nothing at all.

Also I have to disagree with another poster, people will change from Skype to another video chat program (FaceFlow) because it is literally happening at this very moment.

[mtint]

I see no alternative to skype, due to its popularity. I will not be able to convince friends and co-workers to use any other real time communication suite, just because my bb does not support it.

Lets face it, even my Sony bravia supports skype... It is every where and at anytime.

This is the correct answer.

Almost all other platforms support Skype and it's the most popular for video conferencing for users. No-one's going to switch to another app just because the few people they know who have BB10 devices (when it's released) can't use Skype. Either BB10 has it or their sales will be hurt substantially without it. There's no way around it.

Exactly! I do have couple of hundred Skype contacts - including family, friends, partners, etc. etc. etc.
Not realistic at all moving them all to another service because my device doesnt support Skype.

Actually we dont make often video conferencing, if at all, but most of the time is chat and some voice calls. Somehow over the years Skype become a "standard" for that kind of communications - at least among the people I know

[BBMINI]

Almost all other platforms support Skype and it's the most popular for video conferencing for users. No-one's going to switch to another app just because the few people they know who have BB10 devices (when it's released) can't use Skype. Either BB10 has it or their sales will be hurt substantially without it. There's no way around it.

There's been some recent debate on the WPCentral forums about whether, or how thoroughly, MS will share Skype with other platforms. Will MS keep it to themselves and try to use is as an advantage of using a WindowsPhone device (even though Skype isn't even fully functional yet on WP phones), or will they share it completely with everyone else to help Skype become the default cross-platform way to video conference an IM/Chat? I definitely don't have any answers here but thought I'd mention it as an interesting discussion topic.

I've absolutely enjoyed using Skype's IM features (no video features) on my Bold (VZW offers Skype for BB), and I use it often to chat with people who are back in my office while I'm on the road, so I would surely hate to lose it if for some reason it doesn't make it to BB10.

[gokulesh]

Exactly! I do have couple of hundred Skype contacts - including family, friends, partners, etc. etc. etc.
Not realistic at all moving them all to another service because my device doesnt support Skype.

Actually we dont make often video conferencing, if at all, but most of the time is chat and some voice calls. Somehow over the years Skype become a "standard" for that kind of communications - at least among the people I know

Sure for your use case this may be true. For mine it is not. Neither it is for my friends or even my kids. To just blindly assume nobody will move is a fallacy, by that type of thinking whoever is first stays first forever and we know that is not true. If faceflow innovates, the call quality is better - when i skype to India for example it is a hit and miss, some days are good and some days are just terrible. If faceflow delivers a consistently better quality people will move, may be slowly at first but they will move.

Also some of the posters on this thread are saying "that is the correct answer". Really? So what we are saying there can be no other answer or solution. Wow. Sorry guys don't buy it.

All that is needed is for people to have an account in both skype and faceflow - after all they are both free. Just like people have multiple email/messenger accounts across yahoo, gmail, MS and use all.

If i want to talk to some one on ios or android from my bbphone, i message them via email/whatsapp or whatever, tell them to download free faceflow app (when it becomes available) and away we go. if the person does want to talk its not huge barrier.

G

[Roo Zilla]

There is no alternative to Skype. That's almost like saying "alternative to Windows." Yes are other apps that can provide similar/identical functionality, but the most significant feature of Skype is user base, only QQ comes close. WLM provides most of the functionality of Skype, yet MS was still willing to shell out 8B+ for it. Where's the value? Certainly not the core software, MS could replicate it in a couple of months. There are some who say WLM is even better than Skype. The value is in the user base. Where I am, people put their Skype names on their business cards. A lot of them use a Skype number to have a local number in another location/country. Once the transition from WLM to Skype is complete, the Skype user base will only grow.

[Xopher]

I agree that other apps won't be a replacement for Skype, and Skype really needs to be on BB10. It is just nice to have other options, like being able to use BBM, Whatsapp, Kik, AIM, Google Talk...

I highly doubt that M$ will try to make Skype a W8 exclusive. There is already such a large user base that includes so many other platforms. Android even received an update to their Skype app recently, and RIM has a partnership with M$. It makes better sense to try and make it the most-used cross-platform communication tool and have it on as many systems as possible.

[anon(3896606)]

The chances we will have Skype on launch is very slim, look at WP8. They don't even have a fully baked Skype app, and that whole operating system was made by MS. I would be surprised to see a Skype app, unless it was made by RIM.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9800 using the CrackBerry Forums Application

[xSt0rmTroop3Rx]

Skype I guess is just more mainstream and popular. I mention Tango or ooVoo to my mother and she will look at me like a confused labrador. I've read many consumer reports claiming that Skype is also more stable than any alternative video chatting platform. This has not been my experience but to each their own. The proprietary video conference app on my playbook is annoying at best because its sort of like a tease...the functionality is there...but no one I talk to has a playbook...

[TomJasper]

Been talking to the Dev of Faceflow and they went from all hands on deck for ios and android app to all hands on deck to BlackBerry10 app. I got him hooked up with Alec Saunders and he now has a dev alpha and a playbook being shipped to him for testing. He also told me that they should have the app ready for the Jan 21 deadline Rim put out to devs.

They will still be making the iphone and Android app but are focusing on the BlackBerry market first. The dev was surprised when I told him how well his program worked on the PlayBook browser and was also surprised at the lack of video chat apps for BlackBerrys new platform. This was what made them switch focus from IOS to BlackBerry. ,

He was very impressed how much Rim is doing for devs. I mean we start a chat via email and 2 days later he has a dev alpha and a PlayBook being shipped to him along with one on one help from some voip experts from BlackBerryDev.

Exciting times friends we may even see a FaceFlow app for PlayBook before the BlackBerry10 Launch.

I see they changed their website also, " (FaceFlow for Blackberry 10 will also be available!) COMING EARLY 2013 " . As Borat would say Very Nice. Nice find BB-Bmore,thanks, will have to try FaceFlow.