Microsoft looking to buy Skype?

May 8, 2011 | By Surur

skype-for-windows-phone-7

Gigaom is reporting that, as soon as Monday, we may be hearing a major announcement from Skype about either a purchase, partnership or major investment, and besides the usual suspects Facebook and Google, Microsoft is also in the running.

Gigaom notes Skype has existing carrier relations which may make it valuable for Microsoft, such as their relationship with Verizon, and may help push adoption of Windows Phone 7. Microsoft has already shown the Skype client off at MIX 11 running on Windows Phone 7.5.

On the other hand Microsoft already has a major IM network and existing enterprise collaboration product, so a purchase would represent significant duplication.

If the rumours are true we should find out soon enough.

Do our readers think such a partnership make sense? Let us know below.

About Surur

Site Admin and Windows Phone enthusiast, he has been using Windows Mobile devices since before they were called PocketPC’s. He is currently sporting a HTC 7 Trophy.

Tagged rumour, skype, windows phone 7

Anonymous

4 billion dollars ( I might be mistaken) is a big investment just to keep Google from getting it… but I think they should do it. They could really integrate it better into wp7 (1st party app!) and integrate it into Live Messenger.

Anonymous

The problem is … other that the VoIP features of Skype, there is nothing Live Messenger doesn’t have, or can’t do better…and there are far more users for Live Messenger … Skype is really a North American thing.

Anonymous

I definitely agree with you.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Pradyuman-Vig/100001076901964 Pradyuman Vig

But they could always rebrand it into their existing network, and use the huge installed base of Skype…

AnonGuy

Or they can just integrate void and video calling into wlm mobile clients and release them for wp7 and ios and bb then call it a day?

Wlm has 4x the active users skype has… If they think purchasing a duplicate service will go over well with existing customers… I dunno…

How about use some of that money to build a wp7 wlm client since they made one for ios already?

Anonymous

The thing is, Skype and WLM users don’t have a LOT of crossover. For example, Skype is more popular per capita in the US than it is in Canada, while WLM has always been very popular in Canada, and less so in the US.

By buying Skype, MS could integrate as Pradyuman said, while maintaining a standalone client for non MS OSes. Having a seamless interoperability between them would be beneficial to users.
Anonymous

The thing is, Skype and WLM users don’t have a LOT of crossover. For example, Skype is more popular per capita in the US than it is in Canada, while WLM has always been very popular in Canada, and less so in the US.

By buying Skype, MS could integrate as Pradyuman said, while maintaining a standalone client for non MS OSes. Having a seamless interoperability between them would be beneficial to users.
AnonGuy

WLM is integrated into office communicator and if they’d make a decent client for wp7 that can help.

Also, Canada has 1/3rd the population of the USA.

Buying Skype would be useless duplication imo. Seems like all these companies want to let their current products suck in the mobile space to give them a reason to buy something. Google talk Android built in client is trash as well, but at least it exists…

Sent from my Windows Phone

Zootv

Skype is also widely used in Europe

http://www.limohiredirectory.co.uk/ Limo Hire

No, I am not agree with you, skype users are around all countries.

Anonymous

Sorry, but Skype is not just a “North American thing” as you put it. It is a global VOIP and IM service, that many International folks use more than the “North American” folks you call out. Granted, the most active users Skype has seen is 30m, which is a FAR cry from the 130million+ users on Live Messenger.

I don’t want Skype to be purchased by Google. That would ruin the service, just like eBay did when they purchased it. I would rather see a partnership between Facebook and Microsoft, as I do not see any value in Microsoft purchasing Skype.
rsgx

I know loads more people that use Skype over WLM, in Africa, Europe and Australia. It’s definitely a good service.

Anonymous

major IM network … one that Microsoft is “actively” investing in and promoting … /s
http://www.facebook.com/inteller Joseph

I bet ms will announce Skype voice codec adoption in elm.
Anonymous

This really about MS moving outward. MS whole function is the desktop no matter how they may spin it off with other products. Everything that MS does is desktop. For the past 4 years MS took a beating in the world of mobile. Move number one WP7. WP7 is the foundation on which MS is going move going forward in mobile. It’s a great foundation as we all know. In a very short amount of time Uncle Sam is going to take off the handcuffs “rightfully so” considering how Apple and Goggle attend to things. So between now and when WP7.5 comes out we should see a-lot of movement from MS. Integration is going to be the key. Look at the moves they have made in the past 8 months from the WP7 launch. The lumbering sleeping giant is waking up.
http://twitter.com/EDDSfkoff Rick Dodkins

I don’t know ANYONE who uses skype, Messenger on the other hand is a different story.

Everyone I know who owns a PC also has a Messenger, it goes hand in hand with a PC. Microsoft won’t really gain from buying skype other than simply not letting google have it.

Kasser

Rick you must know very few people, I have many friends on Skype in the UK and around world many of them installed on their Nokia’s and Andriods.

For me Skype took the mantle away from Messenger long time ago, its VOIP and video quality has always been better.

This would be a real boon for WP7, if purchased.
Kasser

Rick you must know very few people, I have many friends on Skype in the UK and around world many of them installed on their Nokia’s and Andriods.

For me Skype took the mantle away from Messenger long time ago, its VOIP and video quality has always been better.

This would be a real boon for WP7, if purchased.

Anthony S.

I believe Microsoft could benefit greatly from purchasing Skype. Sure, they offer collaboration tools already, including those for enterprise customers. I believe, though, that this could be huge for them as they could integrate Skype’s calling services and infrastructure into both WLM and Lync. Lync requires a SIP or VoIP service to make calls to landlines and mobile phones. A purchase of Skype would give Microsoft the opportunity to become one of these providers for Lync users, and would also provide more infrastructure for WLM.
Aximtreo

I would support it from a purely US viewpoint. If it would open more doors at Verizon, good for us.
Supernatural_ats

its good, i like!!!!!!!
Oshalabi9

Google already controls some of the most popular internet services like YouTube, gmail, google search and maps. They have locked Microsoft out of some of their APIs for YouTube on their phones. Maybe by getting skype and joining the video services with msn messenger and allowing it to evolve as a YouTube competitor it would allow it to get immediate international recognition.
Anonymous

I believe it would be an excellent opportunity if MS bought Skype and tried to make their codec the real standard in web video communication/VOIP. Afterall Apple tried to crash the party with FaceTime but MS could dominate with Skype, Messenger and Xbox Kinect if their phones get the tech too.

Sensible move but I think it’s unlikely.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Andrea-Barbera/633833446 Andrea Barbera

I find it astonishing that Microsoft is even considering investing billions in a possible Skype aquisition when they don’t even have a native WLM client on WP7, wich could support voice-calls perfectly fine even if it would create a problem with most carriers. Why not work out a deal with Skype integrating Skype-functionality and contacts within WLM, just like they did with Facebook? Buying Skype would just erode the WLM userbase by inviting people to switch from WLM to Skype, and move people on other platforms (iOS for one) away from Skype because now it’s wearing the Microsoft label. Take into consideration that Facebook is rumoured to be setting up voice-functionality on its own, and they don’t need Skype to make that happen, not financially and certainly not to attract users.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Andrea-Barbera/633833446 Andrea Barbera

I find it astonishing that Microsoft is even considering investing billions in a possible Skype aquisition when they don’t even have a native WLM client on WP7, wich could support voice-calls perfectly fine even if it would create a problem with most carriers. Why not work out a deal with Skype integrating Skype-functionality and contacts within WLM, just like they did with Facebook? Buying Skype would just erode the WLM userbase by inviting people to switch from WLM to Skype, and move people on other platforms (iOS for one) away from Skype because now it’s wearing the Microsoft label. Take into consideration that Facebook is rumoured to be setting up voice-functionality on its own, and they don’t need Skype to make that happen, not financially and certainly not to attract users.

Anonymous

Since MS is bringing native WLM to Mango, by buying Skype and maintaining the Skype brand for non MS OSes, while having interoperability between WLM and Skype, MS would have all their VOIP bases covered. Simply allow your Live ID to be your Skype handle with a transition/link tool, and all your standalone Skype contacts would know of the change immediately.

The only question is if that interoperability is worth the Skype asking price. At 4 billion it’s a little steep, but I’m not sure if it’s too steep.
Anonymous

Since MS is bringing native WLM to Mango, by buying Skype and maintaining the Skype brand for non MS OSes, while having interoperability between WLM and Skype, MS would have all their VOIP bases covered. Simply allow your Live ID to be your Skype handle with a transition/link tool, and all your standalone Skype contacts would know of the change immediately.

The only question is if that interoperability is worth the Skype asking price. At 4 billion it’s a little steep, but I’m not sure if it’s too steep.

http://twitter.com/SteveSterley Steve Sterley

Somebody needs to buy Skype!! They take far too long to implement new features. Amazingly in 2011 you still can’t video call with Skype on Android. It is truly sad that the biggest brand in video calling can take so long to respond to demand.
Anonymous

ms is teasing us with the nokia concept

rsgx

Concept, or early prototype?

Robert Wade

Are you guys forgetting that WLM integration is coming with Mango? Personally, I find Messenger a complete and utter waste. It is redundant. At one time I actively used it on my desktop and even on my Windows Mobile PDAs (since the only communication I had then was via WiFi). But with smartphones? Please. SMS, Twitter and Facebook all made Messenger a dead app to me. I can’t think of a single reason to use it when I have the three avenues I mentioned. I’ve since removed it from my desktop. As for Skype, I know a lot more people who use that, particularly since I work in a military environment, so you have a lot of deployed spouses that rely on Skype for communicating. If Microsoft purchases Skype, I think that sets them up nicely. So, with Messenger (ugh) integration in Mango, a Skype client also coming and, possibly, being integrated if the buy Skype, I think they stand a chance to do some serious damage to Android (iPhone is already a loser in my opinion).
Robert Wade

Are you guys forgetting that WLM integration is coming with Mango? Personally, I find Messenger a complete and utter waste. It is redundant. At one time I actively used it on my desktop and even on my Windows Mobile PDAs (since the only communication I had then was via WiFi). But with smartphones? Please. SMS, Twitter and Facebook all made Messenger a dead app to me. I can’t think of a single reason to use it when I have the three avenues I mentioned. I’ve since removed it from my desktop. As for Skype, I know a lot more people who use that, particularly since I work in a military environment, so you have a lot of deployed spouses that rely on Skype for communicating. If Microsoft purchases Skype, I think that sets them up nicely. So, with Messenger (ugh) integration in Mango, a Skype client also coming and, possibly, being integrated if the buy Skype, I think they stand a chance to do some serious damage to Android (iPhone is already a loser in my opinion).
http://twitter.com/fganser Nando Ganser

c’mon MS, just buy it!