One of the worlds biggest companies, Microsoft, recently looked into purchasing the leading VoIP service, Skype, amongst others such as Google, Apple and Facebook. Very early on, $5.8 Billion was offered, and the results are somewhat surprising.
When offered the $5.8 Billion in April, Microsoft was one of the first to make an offer for acquisition of Skype, and there were doubts as to whether or not it would be outdone by other companies who have recently been dominating the market, such as Google, Apple, and even Amazon. In a conference call with reporters, Microsoft’s chief executive, Steve Ballmer, said that Skype is something that Microsoft hopes will reach more people who take use of the variety of it’s products. This could mean possible integration into things like Xbox Live, as well as integration of Windows based phones.
Integrating with Windows phones would allow Microsoft to better compete with big shot companies Google and Apple and with their Google Voice and Facetime. For Xbox, this could mean possible improvements for Microsoft’s Kinect, improving the playability and responsiveness of the system. One only wonders if Skype chat and video chat will thus be integrated into Xbox Live, though currently MSN is integrated into it, yet it seems to have little success.
With the acquisition of Skype, Microsoft will again assert itself as one of the biggest giants in business. If it manages to do well with the new software, it could soar with new features for so many of it’s new products. While PC/Mac users may not see much of a difference in it’s integration, this acquisition leaves the door wide open for possibilities for devices like Xbox, Windows Phones, and even possibly the Zune which has recently been seeing a decline in sales in the past few years. What happens with next with Microsoft is all only speculation, but it is certainly something very exciting to ponder.
Want more Microsoft? Check out the Xbox Dream Concept and the Xbox Mini Handheld Concept
