Skype is different from other VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) providers because it is a peer-to-peer service. In addition to video and voice calls, you can also hold teleconferences, instant message, share files of all kinds, text and make low-cost international calls using a special cell phone program called Skype to Go. There is a fee if you're calling a regular landline or cell phone, and there's also a cost associated with some of the more advanced services.

If the person you want to talk to also has Skype, it's free to use the service (minus the cost of your Internet connection, of course). You don't need a lot of equipment and the software is user-friendly, enabling you to make video calls within minutes of downloading it. Although it's not the only service available, Skype is one of the most popular video call services.

Improvements in video technology, as well as the wide availability of high-speed internet, have made video chat and video calls accessible and affordable for just about anybody.

Video telephony - or video calls - has been around since the 1960s, but it was too cumbersome and expensive for the general public to use until very recently.

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