After a beta test which lasted since May, Skype today has officially released the next version of its Windows client, Skype 5.0, which brings with it group video conferencing and Facebook integration.

Group video calling is a feature the company slowly ramped up throughout Skype 5’s beta. It first offered the ability for five-person video chats in May. At the time I argued that group video chat would become the next killer webcam feature. In September, the company extended group video chat to support 10-person conversations. Eventually, Skype will charge for group video chats, but for now users can try out the service for free.

We reported at the end of September that Facebook and Skype were partnering up, and the official release of Skype 5 is the first time we get to see Facebook’s integration into the software. You can now log in with Facebook Connect in Skype to instant message, call, and text your Facebook friends. You can also view your Facebook News Feed from within Skype, post status messages, and synchronize your status messages with Skype’s “mood message.”

via Skype 5 launches with Facebook integration and group video calls | VentureBeat.