The web was going nuts last night with the possibility of Microsoft snatching up Skype in a deal worth $8.5 billion. Today, it’s a done deal and the only thing left is the approval from both board of directors.
In a press release it stated that the “acquisition will increase the accessibility of real-time video and voice communications, bringing benefits to both consumers and enterprise users and generating significant new business and revenue opportunities… 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. Microsoft will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms.”
Skype support is officially coming soon to Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS but it’ll be interesting to see how deeply integrated Skype will get into all their products (and the Nokia partnership). This deal is the largest acquisition Microsoft has had in their 36-year existence. Skype was founded in 2003, then acquired by eBay in 2005 and sold to an investment group that has Canadian ties as the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board invested into the company in 2009. In 2010 Skype reported they have 170 million users and logged over 207 billion minutes of voice and video conversations.
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
