Just recently Microsoft acquired Skype for a mythical…
Just recently, Microsoft acquired Skype for a mythical amount of money. Since then, the purchase has become a very hot topic. The opinions are, at best, mixed, with many tech sites calling it a pointless acquisition and a severe waste of company funds. Among all the chaos, there have been some main valid points which the common user should keep in mind.
Regardless of what experts say, there is one thing which is completely for sure. And that is the fact, that the common user will be affected in a significant way. Having control over Skype, Microsoft can make a huge variety of different moves from this position. Not the least of which, is expanding Skype. Skype support can, in theory, be added to most Microsoft platforms. Most notably the Xbox and Windows phone 7. In addition, Skype could easily be integrated with Microsoft’s current chat/messaging platform, Windows live. These two options seem most probable, because new functionality is constantly added to the Xbox and the service Xbox Live, as well as the Windows phone 7 operating system. A sort of “Mype” operating system is also a possibility.
Aside from the practical implications, the business intrigue concerning the purchase is still rather hazy. Several blogs and experts have expressed their opinion on the topic. Speculations about the reason for the purchase are very different. Some say, that it was a defensive move to secure Skype from being bought by Google or Facebook. Others think, that it was to secure a position in the VoIP war, where Android and Apple are already competing with Google voice and Facetime. What the sources agree upon, however, is that it was not the smartest of business decisions. Firstly, because Microsoft payed a lot more for Skype than it was actually worth. Secondly, Skype’s ability to bring a constant profit to make up for the 8.5 billion dollar price tag is doubtable. As such, it would seem that the purchase had a different reason, other than going directly for a profit.
Taking all of the variables into account, the chance of seeing a “Mype” come along is actually probable. Due to the rather suspicious nature of the purchase, Microsoft probably has concrete plan for using Skype. That is, integrating it with all of the different services that Microsoft provides, ranging from Xbox live to Windows live. That is just about the only way that Microsoft can come out with a profit.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13343600
http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-pick/microsoft-buys-skype-20110510/
http://gigaom.com/2011/05/09/why-microsoft-is-buying-skype-for-8-billion/
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/05/microsoft-buys-skype-2/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/may/10/microsoft-buys-skype-biggest-gamble-yet
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2011/05/microsoft-confirms-85-bn-skype-purchase-clarifies-nothing.ars
Brent 20:36 on May 18, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Yeah, ma ei saa enam sisse logida, ütleb et mu kasutaja on deletitud, so ma panen commentaarina oma töö;)
Sky.net
Microsoft bought Skype for 8,5 billion dollars. I guess the best way to describe this deal would be to just say: “Woah!”. 8,5 billion is no small cash to spend on a company which has been struggling to make a decent profit over the years and when compared to the Microsoft’s own Windows Live, has about half of the number of clients. Reading about the topic, one probably would like to ask Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft and the “champion” of the deal, was Skype really worth it.
The pros of the deal. Reading various news and blog posts about the topic it seems that Skype will remain as it is: a great live chat provider for various platforms. As Microsoft has said on its official press release: “Microsoft will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms. “,. This certainly is good news for all the non-Microsoft Skype users and if to think logically, this is one of the benefits of Skype: Microsoft can actually get some profit from Apple (and Ubuntu) users. Skype will also be integrated to Microsoft’s various systems and communities like Xbox live, Outlook, Lync, Windows phone and Kinect. Knowing that Skype was a live chat oriented company, this deal will certainly grant Microsoft full access to its technology. Rumors have also said, that Facebook.com will be granted access to Skype technology to enhance its own chat. Knowing the fact that Microsoft is one of the investors in Facebook, maybe this is not so far from being true because of Google’s voice and Apple’s Facetime being developed, maybe this is just the clever tactic Microsoft is pulling to get back in the race, but this is only rumors and speculation.
Though there are some various pros in the deal, I am quite certain this will not explain the humongous amount of money Microsoft payed for Skype, it is definitely too much. Microsoft with its own research and development teams, with some effort, could have surely managed to create a similar and well functioning system on their own and they would not have had to make it from nothing, they already have a good base called Windows Live. So the reasons, why such a high price, for me and many others do not seem valid enough and besides the pros, the deal has a feeling of “Showoff” in it, to just show the other software companies that Microsoft is willing and able to do bigger deals then they. This is supported by the fact that Google and Facebook were said to be interested in partnership with Skype, before the big deal.
This deal was certainly surprising and there are a lot of different opinions on, was the deal in fact smart and well thought through. Though there are different opinions on how much Microsoft will benefit from it almost everyone agrees: the price was too high.
Sauces:
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/05/microsoft-buys-skype-2/
http://searchengineland.com/microsoft-buys-skype-for-8-5-billion-now-what-76452
http://gigaom.com/2011/05/09/why-microsoft-is-buying-skype-for-8-billion/
http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-pick/microsoft-buys-skype-20110510/
http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2011/may11/05-10CorpNewsPR.mspx
Paavo Viilup 10:55 on May 19, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
What about the impact on the regular user? Also, while the rest of the essay is written in good semi-formal language, it starts off with “Woah”. Woah, really? Try to avoid this in the future.
Paavo Viilup 10:44 on May 19, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I can’t really imagine an operating system based on Skype (Mype). Otherwise, very good, with some annoying language issues like the use of commas before “that”.