Microsoft has just announced its completion of its bid to acquire Skype. The deal had to approved by a few bodies around the world such as the US and the EU but neither found any reason why this acquisition couldn’t go ahead. Microsoft has paid $8.5 billion for Skype, it is the company’s largest ever acquisition, and the deal was originally announced on May 10th 2011.
Following the closing of the acquisition Tony Bates, the Skype CEO, will now assume the title of president of the Skype Division of Microsoft. The division will be made up of the employees of Skype who will remain in their current offices around the world. Microsoft had this to say on the completion of the deal:
Microsoft and Skype will remain focused on their shared goal of connecting all people across all devices and accelerating both companies’ efforts to transform real-time communications for consumers and enterprise customers. The completion of the acquisition also marks the official introduction of Skype as a new business division within Microsoft.
Tony Bates had this to say on the acquisition:
By bringing together the best of Microsoft and the best of Skype, we are committed to empowering consumers and businesses around the globe to connect in new ways. Together, we will be able to accelerate Skype’s goal to reach 1 billion users daily.
Microsoft have said that they plan to integrate Skype into a range of products “to broaden Skype’s reach and accelerate its growth as a fundamental way people communicate online”. I am looking forward to hearing what Microsoft has planned for Skype and I can’t wait to see it on many news devices and integrated into services.
An infographic was provided alongside the press release of the completion of the deal showing just how used Skype is.
You can find out more about Skype at a new website http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/skype/.
Update: You can watch what Tony Bates has to say on what this acquisition means for Skype in a video on technet.
