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Microsoft buys Skype – It’s Official!

Microsoft has now confirmed the rumours of its purchase of Skype!

Many suspected that it would be Facebook that swept Skype off its feet to create a social super marriage when the popular video chat service was suggested up for sale. But then news emerged this morning that it’s actually Microsoft that has been quietly courting the Luxembourg-based communications company.

Rumour struck last week of the love triangle between Skype, Google and Facebook, with the social mogul Mark Zuckerberg getting very cosy indeed with the company behind the VoIP software. The truth is that Microsoft has now officially announced an $8.5-billion relationship with Skype.

Microsoft have already established video communications with  Xbox Live Vision and video chat for Kinect. With a Windows version of Kinect in development we can only imagine that an acquisition by Microsoft would mean the name and reputation of the Skype brand would take precedence as the company’s main communications platform. A total refresh and integration into the MSN Messenger program, replacing the stale and slow video chat is something we would also more than welcome.

Microsoft’s CEO (Crazy Excentric Overlord) Steve Ballmer said of the union: “Together we will create the future of real-time communications so people can easily stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues anywhere in the world.”

From Skype’s POV the aquisition by Microsoft will be very beneficial. There have been many recent disappointments both in meeting user demands and providing an adequate interface for the wide variety for platforms the chat services has popped up on since its inception back in August 2003 . We can’t help but notice they do seem to struggle to keep up and this is an area Microsoft could quite easily turn around – if done right.

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