This may come as a surprise, but the middle management at my school seems to be more tech savvy in one aspect than I am – they already make extensive use of VoIP software. Specifically, they have been using Skype to talk each other since the early part of the year. (I have had a Skype account for a while now, but I rarely find an opportunity to use it..)

One of the most exciting developments in Skype this year has been video support, which makes video calls a reality. Not only can one now make voice calls for free – one can now make video calls, all without needing to incur 3G charges too! Sure Apple’s iChat AV has already had good video conferencing support for a while, but the amount of coverage that Skype’s been getting these days makes it more likely that the person you want to talk to has it installed (well that, and the fact that most people don’t have Macs – strange as this may seem…).

So it’s good to see that Skype has finally released a preview version of Skype for Mac with video support. Tried a video conversation with a friend (I’m using a Logitech Webcam Pro 4000 on my Intel Mac mini while my friend’s using the built-in iSight cam on a MacBook) and it works very nicely. Looking forward to its final release!