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Microsoft to Acquire Skype for $8.5 Billion

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Apr 12, 2001
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Rumors of the acquisition broke last night, and this morning Microsoft has confirmed that they are acquiring Skype for $8.5 billion.
Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: “MSFT”) and Skype Global S.à r.l today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Microsoft will acquire Skype, the leading Internet communications company, for $8.5 billion in cash from the investor group led by Silver Lake. The agreement has been approved by the boards of directors of both Microsoft and Skype.
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Skype is the popular voice over internet service that also offers a Mac and iOS App version.

Microsoft reports that Skype will support Microsoft devices like Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone and a wide array of Windows devices, and Microsoft will connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live and other communities. The press release also states that they will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms.


Article Link: Microsoft to Acquire Skype for $8.5 Billion
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/05/10/microsoft-to-acquire-skype-for-8-5-billion/
$8.5 billion?????
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Thank god the world ends in 2012.... doesn't leave Microsoft enough time to screw this up!
 
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I just do not see the logic behind paying 8 billion. As in life, when you are desperate and have money...you usually will be parted from your money very quickly.
 
Full of Win said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPad; U; CPU OS 4_3_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8H7 Safari/6533.18.5)

I just do not see the logic behind paying 8 billion
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You cant see it because it doesnt exist.
 
Be interesting to see what they do with it. You would think MS are able to develop all this stuff themselves so they must be mainly buying the brand and the existing customers. In which case it is a lot to pay. Could work well if integrated with XBox Live etc though.
 
Full of Win said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPad; U; CPU OS 4_3_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8H7 Safari/6533.18.5)

I just do not see the logic behind paying 8 billion. As in life, when you are desperate and have money...you usually will be parted from your money very quickly.
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a fool and his money are soon parted....

what was that, PT Barnum? or Tommy Tusser? (love the history of idioms).

anyway, this is a stressful move for many, many people who rely on skype...M$ will screw this pooch for certain...
 
Well I imagine they have bought skype for the paying services, rather than the free VOIP stuff that their systems can already do.

As long as they keep updating for OSX I will be happy, and by updating I mean release it same time or within a week of the Windows version

Kimbie
 
So is this going to become a pay service now, and require us to enter complicated license keys every time we try to call someone?

A7BQT IDONT L1K3 53R1AL C0D35


I am kidding. But, hopefully Microsoft can actually improve Skype going forward. Perhaps some Competition for Google Voice.
 
Ah. this was basically already announced with the Skype 5 Beta... No surprise Skype goes in that direction to me... (I would sacrifice mac users for 8,5 billions as well...)
 
Pfft. 8.5 billion, thats like $8.50 for Microsoft. IMHO Apple should have bought Skype and done something brilliant with it... But if anyone can make that company a cashcow it's Microsoft.
 
It won't be a pay service you sillies (except for their current premium services)

It's better than google (competition crush) or Facebook buying them... Out of the 3 companies in the running, Microsoft was the preferable option of the 3
 
Since WLM is a larger network than Skype, and both Skype and WLM does text, audio, and video conversations, this has to be about Microsoft being very willing to pay to get to the paying Skype customers, and not about the technology or competence at Skype. (so I feel sorry for the Skype staff today!)

However, this still means that Microsoft are 1) paying for a service despite already having the technology and infrastructure to 2) get to the paying subscribers that 3) still form a service that is running with losses. Yes, Skype isn't even profitable on its own legs despite their paying users.

So... Hmm... Clearly some plans here to integrate Skype in new ways, and Microsoft hoping it'll bring them totally awesome synergy effects that'll pay these $8.5 billion. I'll believe it when I see it. :)
 
I think this does nothing but help us. Skype's developers are either garbage or really lack something. Hopefully Microsoft helps them out.
 
i give it max 2 years for microsoft to screw skype up.... its gonna go from software that everybody loves and cross platform to microsoft putting there "own fine tune to it" and thats where everything will go wrong, and them favoring Windows 7 phone platform.. so there goes key features for iOS users.... i dont think this one of the best ideas for not only microsoft but also every skype user... looks like we might be going back to aol instant messenger... Just my two sense on this.. :apple::apple:
 
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