Microsoft Close to Buying Skype? Deep integration into Windows, Windows Phone, XBox and Kinect?

Bloomberg is reporting that Microsoft are looking to buy the internet calling company, Skype for a reported sum of over 7 Billion Dollars (initially expected around 8.5 Billion). This would make it the biggest acquisition after advertising company aQuantivefor 6 Billion in 2007 (though would have paled in comparison had they bought Yahoo! in 2008 – which instead they are now partnering with to provide Bing Search for Yahoo! pages). .

EBay of course famously gave up on Skype in 2007 after their initial purchase back in 2005 (for 2.6Billion), selling 70% stake to a group of technology investors. Bloomberg reckons the deal may go through as early as today but may still fall apart. About a week ago it was thought that perhaps it would have been Facebook (or Google) buying Skype for 3-4 Billion. That’s half of what Microsoft is willing to pay but possibly just enough to keep it’s competitors away. There’s 50 Billion in cash and software investments making negligible dents to the software giant.

How will this affect users? Hopefully not much at all – there are 663 Million  -users who have expectations of Skype’s great service. Hopefully should the deal go through, Microsoft will still continue to support Skype over other platforms, like hey finally giving video calling over Skype with Symbian? Though Fring is there right?

I loved the integration with the N900. Perhaps the same will happen again to Nokia’s future Windows Phones- deep Skype integration (Skype app not there yet on WP, coming soon – but a default experience, not something you have to download), reintroducing to the world video calling, as polished as FaceTime (which undoubtedly made the mundane second camera a MUSTHAVE feature). It might also become a default experience in Windows and XBox – Skype over the must have KINECT? 😀 Integrated internet TVs, Home entertainment systems, able to connect to any of the 663 Million+ Skype users.

Via BloomBerg

via @JoaoLuisC

Category: Nokia, Symbian, Windows Phone