Microsoft buys Skype, $8.5 billion

[thewayne]

A week ago I posted that Facebook and Google were jockeying to buy Skype. Looks like Redmond ended up being the big bid.

I don't like this. I can't see this boding well for people on non-MS OS platforms.

“Microsoft’s own software already has considerable overlap with Skype. Windows Live Messenger offers free instant messaging, and voice- and video-chat.“ So the benefit to MS is what? A replacement for Live Messenger? Does LM work on non-MS platforms? Will the replacement?

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/05/microsoft-buys-skype-2/

http://www.h-online.com/open/features/Skype-ing-out-an-open-source-future-1241617.html

http://gigaom.com/2011/05/09/why-microsoft-is-buying-skype-for-8-billion/

http://news.slashdot.org/story/11/05/10/1244253/Microsoft-Buying-Skype-for-85B

Comments

[silveradept]

I wonder whether Microsoft decided they wanted to buy out a potential rival before it really did become a rival.