There is a new service on the Web, called TokBox (tokbox.com) which enables users to make video calls without installing any additional software whatsoever. What you get is free video chat, no downloads to use the service, interface embeddable in any website, and privacy control. Finally, this sounds too good to be true.

This is nothing really new in concept. The service uses Flash technology, and its support for audio/video streaming. The rise in adoption of broadband Internet in the last couple of years has certainly contributed to something like this finally happening, but the fact that all you have to do to use this service is to register, and all you have to do to make yourself available for video chat is to paste some code, makes this really useful.

There is also an API for a more advanced use of TokBox services, but I haven’t tried it yet. The API documentation is simple enough and gives basic control on how you are going to use TokBox on your site. Developers can make POST requests with or without authentication and get functionality accordingly. If I understood correctly, apart from calls, you can also register users through the API from your own website. This is cool if, for example, you give someone the option to video chat with you but they don’t use the service yet. I can see a lot of implementation for this for something like customer support, where a friendly face can get more than than a lengthy phone conversation. The only obstacle may be industry adoption, but look at Skype, and how quickly it spread.

So, what about money? Advertising appearing on the site may be delivered to TokBox users by TokBox or one of their web advertising partners. I expect this will not be much different than other in-video advertising solutions such as AdSense in YouTube (video units). Free always has a price, but if this is done moderately it shouldn’t bother users too much.

NY Times gave TokBox a more in-depth coverage, and gives them a thumbs-up for the future. Actually, according to the NY Times post, one of the people backing TokBox is a former YouTube founder Jawed Karim, which should mean TokBox is heading in the right direction. TokBox aims to do for video chatting what YouTube did for online video.

The service is still in Beta, so glithces are to be expected. The API has a lot of room for expansion so if you have suggestions, head on over to their blog. BTW, they announced a small competition, The TokBox $5000 Developer Challenge, where the best use of their API for development gets $5K. So, if you have an idea, go for it.

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