System and method for providing integrated video communication applications on a mobile computing device

1. A method for operating a mobile computing device, the method being performed by one or more processors and comprising:

installing, on the mobile computing device, a third party communication application provided from a third party;

presenting a user interface for a core application, the core application being provided as part of an operating system of the mobile computing device and corresponding to at least one of a phone application, a contacts application, or a messaging application, wherein by default, the core application provides a default user interface;

presenting, based on determining that the third party communication application is installed on the mobile computing device, a modified user interface in place of the default interface of the core application including one or more user interface features for operating the third party communication application from the core application, wherein the one or more user interface features identify (i) a name of the third party communication application and (ii) a messaging transport type of the third party communication application; and

executing the third party communication application in response to user interaction with the one or more user interface features of the core application.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein executing the third party communication application includes disabling or suppressing some of the user interface features of the third party communication application, unless the third party application is executed independent of the core application.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third party communication application includes a video communication application, and wherein when the third party communication application is executed, the video communication application initiates a video communication session.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the user interface provides a selectable graphic representation for the third party communication application.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

enabling the user to switch from the video communication session to a voice communication session during a duration of the video communication session.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the third party communication application is installed on the mobile computing device includes determining that a contact record associated with the third party communication application corresponds to a contact record associated with the core application.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the user interface corresponding to the phone application includes a call log that provides communication sessions initiated or received by the user using the one or more third party communication applications.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third party communication application uses a voice over packet protocol to enable a communication session.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third party communication application is previously downloaded from an application catalog by the user.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the third party communication application modifies the user interface for the core application.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the communication session is a voice communication session.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

enabling the user to switch from the voice communication session to a video communication session during a duration of the voice communication session.

13. A mobile computing device comprising:

a display;

one or more processors; and

a memory resource for storing one or more third party communication applications, for storing one or more core applications, and for storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the mobile computing device to:

install, on the mobile computing device, a third party communication application provided from a third party;

present a user interface for a core application, the core application being provided as part of an operating system of the mobile computing device and corresponding to at least one of a phone application, a contacts application, or a messaging application, wherein by default, the core application provides a default user interface;

present, based on determining that the third party communication application is installed on the mobile computing device, a modified user interface in place of the default interface of the core application including one or more user interface features for operating the third party communication application from the core application, wherein the one or more user interface features identify (i) a name of the third party communication application and (ii) a messaging transport type of the third party communication application; and

execute the third party communication application in response to user interaction with the one or more user interface features of the core application.

14. The mobile computing device of claim 13 , wherein execution of the instructions to execute the third party communication application causes the mobile computing device to disable or suppress some of the user interface features of the third party communication application, unless the third party application is executed independent of the core application.

15. The mobile computing device of claim 13 , wherein the third party communication application includes a video communication application, and wherein when the third party communication application is executed, the video communication application initiates a video communication session.

16. The mobile computing device of claim 15 , wherein the user interface provides a selectable graphic representation for the third party communication application.

17. The mobile computing device of claim 16 , wherein execution of the instructions further causes the mobile computing device to enable the user to switch from the video communication session to a voice communication session during a duration of a video communication call.

18. The mobile computing device of claim 13 , wherein determining that the third party communication application is installed on the mobile device includes determining that a contact record associated with the third party communication application corresponds to a contact record associated with the core application.

19. The mobile computing device of claim 18 , wherein the core application is a phone application, and a user interface corresponding to a phone application includes a call log that provides communication sessions initiated or received by the user using the third party communication application.

20. The mobile computing device of claim 13 , wherein the third party communication application uses a voice over packet protocol to enable a communication session.