Google hangout group chat is the search engine engine giant’s new google talk type app where a number of people can come together for meetings and chats. It is also being used by a number of firms and the application is catching on fast. But Skype also sees how conference calls and friendly chat sessions are a necessity to businesses with partners and offices in different locations.

Made possible with high speed broadband in remote places of rural U.S and developing nations like India, the ‘group video call’ through apps like Google hangout group chat has taken precedence over expensive flights and travel to onsite business destinations.

Skype announced on Monday, it would offer its ‘group video calling feature’ cost-free for handpicked users. Skype’s group video calling was unveiled in 2010. It was then introduced to Premium users via a Windows desktop, Mac or the Xbox One video console.

Skype calls and Skype video calls offer high quality audio and video output and makes for ease of communication. Skype is introducing free group video calling to users on the Xbox One, Mac or Desktop. The communication firm also said that more platforms would be gradually worked into the no charge system that it is implementing.

“Skype is proud that, since our beginning, we’ve created opportunities for people to communicate freely and easily, no matter where they are; from keeping in touch with remote family members or calling home when traveling to chatting daily with your close circles of friends. While Skype is known for one to one video calling, we know it’s also essential to connect with the groups of people who matter most, whether friends, family or colleagues. For the last few years, we’ve offered group video calling to Premium users on Windows desktop and Mac and more recently Xbox One. Today, we’re excited to announce that we’re making group video calling free – for all users on these platforms. And, in the future, we’ll be enabling group video calling for all our users across more platforms – at no cost,” MacRumors reports.

Similar to Google hangout group chat, Sky enables users who share their account IDs to communicate on a video call using webcams and it has become an efficient business tool, particularly for small business owners.

To download Skype for Mac, go to Skype's website and video calls can be made using a webcam and a microphone.