Google's
Gmail recently added a voice and video chat function which makes it possible to video-chat within Gmail. With this new function you can start a video conversation without first having to open a separate application or making a new account. And if you don't have a webcam, you can chat by voice. Google recognizes from your email traffic with a person who your friends are and gives you access to your online status so you can chat with this. You can also turn this option off (Automatically allow people I communicate with often to chat with me and see when I'm online). Keeping a contact list is no longer needed.
Future Vision by Erwin Van Lun on this article
Social coaching brands understand who your friends are. Not because they’re registered elsewhere, but because we have ‘hot’ contacts. Currently based on the amount of contacts, but soon based on the contact of the contacts: do we say nice things or is arguing all we do? Is it purely business? Then maybe we shouldn’t be disturbed in the evening or weekends. That’s the next step. To afterwards analyze the (spoken) conversations and really help us with starting, maintaining and breaking off relationships. This is a start.