Most tech fans love Skype. Who wouldn't? Virtually free online telephony, texting and even video calls that even work with a number of mobile devices. It's awesome! Nothing wrong with that!
It seems our pals in Redmond agree, which is why Microsoft spent $8.5 billion to acquire the company, lock stock and VoIP.
Microsoft Corp. said Tuesday that it has agreed to buy the popular Internet telephone service Skype SA for $8.5 billion in the biggest deal in the software maker's 36-year history.
Buying Skype gives Microsoft access to a user base of about 170 million people who log in to Skype every month, using the Internet and Skype usernames as a complement to the traditional phone network and its phone numbers.
Microsoft said it will marry Skype's functions to its Xbox game console, Outlook email program and Windows smartphones. All of these platforms already have other options for Internet calling, but the addition of Skype users would expand their reach, making them more useful.
Microsoft said it will continue to support Skype on other software platforms.
The sellers include eBay Inc. and private equity firms Silver Lake and Andreessen Horowitz.
Given how well Microsoft is known for playing well with others, this should work out just fine.
[Source: The San Francisco Chronicle]