Skype announces the launch of the new Skype for Windows, which brings people together like never before.

• The integration of the Facebook News Feed and Phonebook in Skype makes it easier to stay connected with the people and communities you care about.
• A revitalised look and feel makes voice and video calling, instant messaging, screen sharing, file sharing and more, intuitive and easy to navigate.
• Skype users can bring even more of their family and friends together with the new group video calling feature available in open beta.

The Facebook integration makes Skype even more social. For the first time Skype users can keep up-to-date and interact with their Facebook News Feed, including posting status updates, commenting, and liking, directly from Skype. Even better, the Facebook Phonebook in Skype allows users to call and SMS their Facebook friends directly on their mobile phones and landlines with just a few clicks. If your Facebook friend is also a Skype contact, you can make a free Skype-to-Skype call.

Video calling accounted for approximately 40% of all Skype-to-Skype minutes in the first half of 2010. People who download the new Skype will receive a free trial of group video calling in beta for a chance to try out video calling with more than two people. The dynamic view makes it easy to follow along on group video calls by automatically moving the focus to the person speaking on the call. With the eagerly anticipated introduction of group video calling, family, friends and work colleagues can do more things together whenever they are apart.

Skype users have spent an average of 520 million minutes every day talking to people on Skype, whether doing a Skype-to-Skype call for free or calling any phone for very little cost. With the new Skype, we’ve simplified the user interface to provide a clean and more powerful communications experience. When you initiate a voice or video call with someone, users are provided an immersive call experience that reduces distraction. It’s also faster to find existing contacts with pictures and avatars displayed next to contact names along with mood messages, and easier to find new contacts with real-time search.

With a focus on increased call quality, the new Skype introduces automatic call recovery, which helps users quickly reconnect calls that are interrupted due to Internet connection problems. Plus, a call quality manager gauges audio and video quality during calls, providing guidance on resolving problems and improving the call experience.

The new Skype Home serves as the dashboard for your Skype experience, providing a feed of mood messages from your contacts. It also helps you get the most out of Skype with tutorials on everything from how to make a video call to how to sign up for a subscription.