The announcement Wednesday that Facebook Inc. is partnering with Skype to offer free video calling represents the latest effort by a marquee technology company to dominate all forms of digital communication. Most notably, Facebook took on traditional email last year by rolling out a new messaging system that incorporates email, online chat and text messages into a single conversation history.

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Video calling isn't a regular part of most consumers' online activities. According to an October report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, about 19 percent of American adults have tried the technology online or on their mobile phones. But on any given day, just 4 percent of Internet users are engaged in video calling, chatting or teleconferencing.

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