War between Google, Facebook and Microsoft to Buy Skype is over now, Microsoft has officially announced its intention to Buy Skype, the Internet phone software company. This morning's Press Release announced that the price that Microsoft is Paying for Skype will indeed be $8.5 Billion in Cash, as previously revealed on Monday night by the AllThingsDigital website.
There was a rumored spread before the announcement of the purchase of Skype by Microsoft that Google and Facebook were also interested in the platform. But, how serious were those offers? According to Allthingsd, those offers were not serious at all. It appears that Microsoft was the only company who made an offer serious enough for Skype to even consider being acquired. Allthingsd states:
While Andreessen declined to talk about others, sources said there were no serious ones beyond initial flirting, except for Microsoft. Not Google and not Facebook.
According to the Microsoft official press release; Microsoft plans to use Skype, which has 170 million registered users, for many of its devices and systems such as Xbox and Kinect, Xbox Live, the Windows Phone, Lync and Outlook, Microsoft said in a statement. The company has pledged to continue supporting and developing Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms as well.
The deal will turn Skype into its own division inside of Microsoft. Skype's current CEO Skype Tony Bates will be the president of the new Microsoft Skype Division and will report directly to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Ballmer is quoted in the press release as saying,
Tony Bates has a great track record as a leader and will strengthen the Microsoft management team. I�m looking forward to Skype�s talented global workforce bringing its insights, ideas and experience to Microsoft.
10:09 AM | 0
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