Microsoft gets approval to purchase Skype

The FTC has approved Microsoft's $8.5 billion bid for VoIP giant Skype, just weeks after its proposal.

Microsoft plans to integrate the popular service into its Windows Phone 7, Windows 8, Microsoft Office and Xbox Live platforms.

The deal is Microsoft's largest ever and is one of the biggest deals the industry has seen in the last decade.

Skype has almost 200 million users that use the service to make phone and video calls around the world. Skype is free for Skype-to-Skype communications and costs minimal fees to call land lines and mobile devices.

Google is said to have bid $4 billion for the service, so Microsoft completely overpaid (by most accounts) but if executed correctly, the move could pay off in the long run.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 Jun 2011 0:52

KillerBug

Good thing there are Skype alternatives.

http://killerbug666.wordpress.com/

18.6.2011 01:41 #1

flyingpen

Honestly I don't really see the issue here. I'm looking at this as the same of Dell buying Alienware... Not much changed. It just helped the fat cat get fatter. Unless Microsoft starts sticking its foot into the wrong place I got no problem with this XD.

Carpe Noctem

18.6.2011 03:52 #2

xtago

MS LIVE Skype

will be the new release of Live.

18.6.2011 10:15 #3

oappi

i don't have a problem with M$ buying skype, but usually when combined market share is too high companies are not allowed to buy each other. I would imagine that at least in US or Europe skype and ms messanger have quiet high "market share" on instant messages. Well at least we can forget about getting video calling on android skype.

18.6.2011 12:49 #4

LordRuss

OK, the old fart's cerebellum just fused... when did the FTC have to weigh in on M$ having to even bid on attempting to buy Skype? Granted, they have enough money to buy God, thus knocking other companies out of contention & this makes for an unfair advantage... When the hell did Skype even go on the auction block!?!

Hell, I actually go out and get a life and this shit happens... Not that I use Skype... just saying...

But isn't there already a conflict of interest with AT&T & Apple and a couple other cell providers?

This is internet communication stuff here which has the whole 'hotmail', 'windows messenger' thing brouhaha boiling over VOIP possibility. Or am I missing the boat on something?

http://onlyinrussellsworld.blogspot.com

18.6.2011 13:46 #5

KillerBug

The FCC likes to butt into anything that has to do with communications of any type...and their powers are so broad that they can get away with it. Of course, a few payoffs help the process go smoother, but for things that are guaranteed to go through (like this one) or if the deal is so big that people would ask questions without an inquiry (like AT&T buying T-Mobile), then it gets an inquiry.

http://killerbug666.wordpress.com/

19.6.2011 01:50 #6

LordRuss

Makes sense... I'll allow it!

Not really, but it always seems to work on the other game shows why not this one?

http://onlyinrussellsworld.blogspot.com

19.6.2011 11:58 #7

Mysttic

At least MS will use skype, Google really didn't need it, they just wanted it gone, so people would use their phone service over gmail instead.

19.6.2011 13:48 #8

pmshah

Originally posted by Mysttic: At least MS will use skype, Google really didn't need it, they just wanted it gone, so people would use their phone service over gmail instead. I have tried Google Video and Voice several times in the past but it has always been unusable. I belong to a large and very close family which is spread across the world right from New Zea Land in the east to the US West coast. If M$ true colors start showing we will simply switch to alternatives.

24.6.2011 02:37 #9

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