Confirmed: Microsoft to buy Skype for 8.5 Billion

Today it was confirmed that Microsoft will pay $8.5 billion to acquire the very popular VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) platform Skype.

Skype has not turned a profit since being sold to online auction giant eBay in October of 2005. EBay had originally planed to integrate the VoIP platform into their auction site as a convenient way for buyers and sellers to communicate with one another, but the eBay community had other ideas, since they proved that they much more preferred email communication with total strangers, and the Skype-eBay integration was indefinitely shelved.

Bloggers and Tech websites began rampant speculation Tuesday, on the fate of the popular Voice over IP platform, very soon after the announcement was made, with a great number of opinions not favoring the deal and predicting the beginning of a certain death for Skype.

Personally, I find the Skype acquisition intriguing on a couple of different fronts. While Sony's PlayStation Network has been crippled by a few security breaches since April 20th - over 2 and a half weeks ago, and with no restoration of service being announced for anywhere in the near future - this would be a very strategic time for Microsoft to sprint forward, and add Skype VoIP integration to it's competing X-Box Live! Gaming Communities, and they could probably also integrate Skype Voice over IP into SYNC - a joint project with the Ford Motor Company - an in-vehicle communications and entertainment system. Skype would also be a perfect fit to upgrade the voice application of Microsoft's Live Messenger instant messaging program.

Both Skype founders Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis still sit on Skype's Board of Directors, and their original mission statement with Skype, is that PHONE CALLS (globally) SHOULD BE FREE! With Microsoft in the driver's seat and controlling the purse strings, Skype's creators could quite possibly realize their dream come true.

Microsoft is one of a few companies on a very short list that have both the financial, as well as the management resources to turn Skype into a world communication standard, and a very profitable one at that! I am going to reserve my comments on the Microsoft-Skype deal for a while and wait to see what direction Microsoft decides to go in. This may be a win-win situation for all involved.

Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, has dramatically changed the way we communicate - especially over long distances - in the past decade. Many companies both large and small have opted to outsource a call center as a means to benefit from the very cheap global calling rates that are associated with VoIP telephone calls. Modern call centers might have dozens of agents answering telephones for a great number of different companies - whether it be order taking and/or fulfillment, customer support,or technical support - inexpensive VoIP calling offers a totally transparent way for companies to lower the cost of their operating overhead.

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