(Image source: CNET/CBS)

BY TRACY PFEIFFER

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

The Internet is aflutter with the latest --quote-- “awesome” announcement from social media giant Facebook -- a deal with video-chat service Skype.

Fox Business has the details.

“Facebook announced a partnership with the Czech company to bring video calling to the networking site. As early as today it will go live. Users will also be able to form a group and have group chats with everyone in it. …The company also announced a new design for chat. Zuckerberg also sharing that the company recently passed the 750 million user mark.”

On the user numbers -- Zuckerberg says metrics -- no longer matter.

A correspondent for The Wall Street Journal explains.

STACEY DELO, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: “He says what’s really exciting is the next chapter -- is what kinds of cool stuff people can build on top of Facebook. …Here’s a service, you’ve got close to 700 million users, and so what can you do, as a business, to use Facebook as a way to do your business.”

It wasn’t long after the announcement that tech bloggers the world over began drawing comparisons between Google’s most recently-launched social media venture - Google+ - and its Hangout feature, which allows for group video-chat.

Here’s the Financial Times.

“Asked about Google+ and Hangouts, Mr Zuckerberg said these were a validation of his comments on the growth of social apps. However, Google’s earlier announcements and richer video-calling features appear to overshadow Facebook’s new features, which did not seem as ‘awesome’ as it had intimated in advance of the event.”

But a reporter for CNBC takes that a step further -- noting, there’s another big name playing in this high-stakes game.

“Of course, this is good news for Microsoft, which agreed to buy Skype in May for $8 ½ billion in cash - and Microsoft and Facebook’s relationship goes way back. …This announcement seems like direct competition to Google’s + service, which launched last week, and has a range of video features. …And of course, Microsoft is also rival to Google, so this is really ramping up Facebook and Microsoft’s alliance versus Google.”

But while some analysts hash out the big picture -- a writer for All Things Digital says -- the new feature sounds great and all, but what about apps?

“It’s a little odd — and so I think worth calling out — that the new group chat design and Skype-powered video chat are Web-only. They’re also available only on Facebook’s own Web site and through its core interface, with no support for Facebook platform app developers.”

Stick with Newsy for more on this story and other tech news.