File photo of a screen displaying logos of Facebook taken in Buenos Aires. AFP/Juan Mabromata
Facebook and Orange are joining forces to offer a ‘social calling' service that will let users make
individual and group calls.
Scheduled to go live initially in France in 2013, where Orange is headquartered, what makes the service interesting is that users won't need to know their friends' phone numbers in order to call one another because they will be connected via IP address. Orange already uses the same technology in its Libon smartphone app, which works on the same principle as Skype.
The service, along with Orange's partnership with Facebook, was announced at ‘Hello,' an innovation event being held in France's capital Wednesday and hosted by Orange.