Skype bought out by Microsoft for $8.5 billion

On Tuesday, May 10, 2011, Microsoft announced that it had purchased the Skype internet voice and video communication company for $8.5 billion, with the intention of improving its ability to compete with the world’s movement away from the desktop computer.

Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, held a news conference in San Francisco, where he provided some details about the purchase, which was made in cash, and about the intentions of the company to bring in a larger number of individual and business customers.

These details included the possibility that the Xbox platform, owned by Microsoft, may one day allow its game playing users to hold video chats among themselves, or for business associates to use the Outlook email program to make audio calls. Windows Phone may also one day offer mobile conferencing.

This purchase made sure that Skype had been grabbed up before other interested companies – among which were reportedly Facebook and Google – could take advantage of the opportunity.

Ballmer explained that “By bringing together the best of Microsoft and the best of Skype, we will empower people around the world with new technologies that should bring them closer together”.

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Posted by Jim Nelson on May 12 2011. Filed under Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.