Skype Worth the Hype?
Nearly every time I see a TV correspondent reporting from a distant land, he or she is using Skype. The cloud-based phone service is also a favorite of teens, who -- when not texting (e-mail is so passé) -- are busy Skyping. And most of the time they use video calls, since just a voice phone is also passé.
Microsoft wants in on this action, and is ready to pony up some $8.5 billion for Skype and its over 600 million customers.
Microsoft isn't always known for inventing the newest, hottest technology (except for the Xbox), but it can spot a winner as it did with Hotmail and now Skype. While Skype is hot, Ballmer hopes to make it hotter by potentially integrating it with Lync, Messenger, Hotmail, Outlook and Xbox Live.
The Skype buy marks a major departure for Microsoft due to the fact that Apple's iOS and Android have Skype integration -- which Microsoft's Steve Ballmer pledges to continue.
Is Microsoft just buying its way into new markets? Are you a Skype lover or hater? Answers to either welcome at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 05/11/2011 at 1:18 PM