Video Calling service has been around for quite some time, but it did not gain mass approval. However, with the advent of faster
internet speed, the service is getting popular. According to a market research firm In-Stat, there were 63 million active video calling users in the year 2010 and this number is expected to increase to 380 Million by year 2015. The report concludes, "While the mobile arena is relatively nascent, it has fueled much of the growth in usage over the course of 2011."
Currently, PCs are the most popular method for conducting video calls, but in the future, smartphones and tablets are expected to become equally important medium. The main hindrance in the path of video calling's popularity is the sketchy internet connectivity. Video calling on smartphones suffer due to poor quality of 3G services. However, the situation is likely to get better with the introduction of 4G or LTE connectivity.
Skype is currently the leading service provider on all the platforms such as PCs, smartphones and TVs. The report says, "The entry of players with significant market presence has been critical in pushing mass adoption in mobile video calling. Currently, the living room market is still quite small; however, In-Stat expects to see significant developments in this market in the coming years." Video calling is also expected to become more popular with integration of calling with various social networking sites such as Facebook.