Today Santa Cruz Networks made available a new version of Festoon that integrates to either Skype or Google Talk.

It is free. Festoon is available for download here.

I caught up with Santa Cruz Networks’ CEO Itzik Cohen, former VP of Corporate Development at WebEx, on his mobile using SkypeOut:

SJ: “Okay Itzik, first Skype, now Google. Who is your next target for Festoon? And when?”

Itzik: “AOL is next, before year end.”

SJ: “I really liked seeing the same user interface for both Google and Skype. But I want a combined list. I don’t want to switch back and forth.

Itzik: “Bill, you are so damn impatient! First we will develop each community. Like I said, today Google, AOL by Christmas. Then Yahoo, then MSN for first half of 06. When that’s done you will get your buddy lists integrated! It is sure nice to have instant messaging clients with API’s!”

SJ: “I hear you have been busy trying to raise venture financing. What can you tell our readers?”

Itzik: “Not much at this point Bill. We are very, very close to closing. I have been at it night and day for three weeks. Our story of making video an immersive experience is resonating very well with investors just as our product is resonating with our users. I expect to be back leading a well funded team before the snow flies up in your neck of the woods.”

SJ: “Thanks for your time Itzik. I think you guys will do all right. Multi-user video, cross-platform and desktop sharing are my favorite features. Give me a call when the financing closes.”

Exclusive to Skype Journal. “Festoon”, not vSkype”, says Itizk Cohen, the new CEO of Santa Cruz Networks. “We have a new product name and a new CEO”, Itzik grinned.

“We are putting fun into video conferencing. We are creating eye candy for our video conferencing application Just like Skype adds expressive media content with its ring tones and buttons”.

Product Manager, Sam Baron walked me through Festoon’s new “Eye Candy”. “When you play with eye candy, Bill, make the Festoon window big."

So I did that...

So I did that with eye candy "Inversion"

If you are part of the pre-baby boom crowd you’ll remember Rowan & Marten’s Laugh-In which played from 1968 to 73. If you are part of today’s generation you all ready know about Rooster Teeth Productions of Red Vs Blue. The video that Marketing Director Max Montgomery put together reminds me of both.

Soon we will be creating great content in Festoon and delivering it to 100's of millions of Skype users.

Exciting? You bet!

Flash your smile around the globe. This WigiWigi is the best video application I have tested. Others agree.

"It's great... cool... this is awesome, I love it", commented Adnan Topuz President of AdoSoft INC in Toronto, Canada.

"This is amazing, this is amazing, this is great stuff". Charles Power, CEO of a web dating site Friendsation

This screenshot tells part of the story. It is my fellow tester Johnny in Denmark who was helping me test today.

last week I wrote that Wigi was not ready for prime time. Wait before downloading. Wait no more.

I wrote this User Quidebook to help you get going. Download here.

This amazing program is only 400 KB in size. That is less than half the size of Dialcom's Video4IM application. 10 seconds to download; 10 seconds to install and configure. And it works with any Instant Messaging Client from AOL to Yahoo.

The fluidity of the video is just outstanding. With speed set at 100 percent move your head back and forth like a pendulum. No tearing, no pixelation. The lip sync is perfect.

Look at this resolution of ten point type!

And look at this perfect colour!

Does it get better than this? Yup. Soon Ashod will have multi-party conferencing.