UPDATE: Skype for iPad now available with support for video calls via WiFi and 3G

I travel quite a bit for business and when I am on the road I enjoy talking to my family back home via Skype video chat sessions. I've tried different mobile clients and while some work great, such as Apple's FaceTime and BlackBerry PlayBook's Video Chat services, they often require specific hardware on both ends. On several of my one and two day trips I have traveled with just my iPad and I just read over on TiPB that Skype for the Apple iPad (iTunes link) is now available for free in the App Store so my iPad just gained even more functionality.

This new Skype for iPad software has been something I have been wanting for a long time and thankfully brings video calling support via 3G and WiFi, as well as IM and voice calls. You can even make calls from your iPad to landlines and mobile phones using your Skype Credit. You can use either the front or back camera on the iPad 2 while Skype also works on the first generation iPad device. I loaned my iPad to a coworker today so he could use it with Keynote to give a presentation to a client (right on the iPad without a projector) during a dinner meeting so I won't be able to try out the new Skype client until tomorrow.

Skype now has full video, call, and IM clients for the iPad, iPhone, and Android devices so it is now becoming easier to make video calls and with a standard service like Skype I think this is what we need to see this capability grow in popularity.

UPDATE: Skype had the iPad version pulled off the App Store and tweeted that it was posted prematurely. Hopefully it goes live again soon, for real this time.

UPDATE 2: It's now back in the App Store so go get it now and give it a whirl on your iPad.