Skype Selling for 8.5 bill...



It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, Microsoft have like 3 times as many members using Windows Live Messenger than Skype. Surely they could have implemented their own VOIP system for a whole lot less money. I read somewhere that for $8 billion they're paying around $1000 per Skype customer that's only worth about $30 in profit.

I'm sure the idea is to prevent Google or Facebook buying it, and then integrate it into their Windows Phone's (which kick ass, IMO).
 
johnmatrix said:
It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, Microsoft have like 3 times as many members using Windows Live Messenger than Skype. Surely they could have implemented their own VOIP system for a whole lot less money. I read somewhere that for $8 billion they're paying around $1000 per Skype customer that's only worth about $30 in profit.

I'm sure the idea is to prevent Google or Facebook buying it, and then integrate it into their Windows Phone's (which kick ass, IMO).
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Think about the users of MSN messenger VS skype. For example old people fucking love skype, my mum uses it all the time to talk to me and my brothers whenever we are overseas. She actually thought you had to pay even when you talk computer to computer and she was perfectly fine with this. MSN messenger is like 13 year olds trying to get each other naked on webcam.

Personally I think the most logical tie in is with the kinect. Video chat on the big screen seems like the next big move in VOIP. They are trying to turn the 360 into a home entertainment system and not just a gaming system, my guess is when they launch the next generation console they will try to position and brand it in this way.

Personally I think this is a good buy for microsoft. In fact, I'm going to go and buy some more MSFT shares - they've been doing a lot right recently.

On the flipside, this is probably going to make skype a lot less cross compatible in the future.
 
tencentpiece said:
On the flipside, this is probably going to make skype a lot less cross compatible in the future.
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Probably, they have said though that they will continue developing for Mac and Linux. At least Microsoft has some stake in SUSE Linux, maybe they'll come out with a much better Linux client - although I'm not holding my breath.
 
johnmatrix said:
It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, Microsoft have like 3 times as many members using Windows Live Messenger than Skype. Surely they could have implemented their own VOIP system for a whole lot less money. I read somewhere that for $8 billion they're paying around $1000 per Skype customer that's only worth about $30 in profit.

I'm sure the idea is to prevent Google or Facebook buying it, and then integrate it into their Windows Phone's (which kick ass, IMO).
Click to expand...
They already have had VOIP on MSN for years now. They're buying the brand, not the system.
 
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The real winners are the guys who bought skype (a company that loses money) from ebay (who were somehow convinced to buy it then couldn't figure out wtf to do with it) then found more fools to buy it tripling their money and make 6 billion dollars

#winning

At least microsoft has a plan to use them though and intend to integrate them vertically across nearly all their brands.
 
johnmatrix said:
It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, Microsoft have like 3 times as many members using Windows Live Messenger than Skype. Surely they could have implemented their own VOIP system for a whole lot less money. I read somewhere that for $8 billion they're paying around $1000 per Skype customer that's only worth about $30 in profit.

I'm sure the idea is to prevent Google or Facebook buying it, and then integrate it into their Windows Phone's (which kick ass, IMO).
Click to expand...

I think you should brush up on your math skills

6.5b/663m users = ~ $10/user
 
There is probably a patented technology there that Microsoft wants to improve their services. Look how new VoIP is still, 15-20 years ago the phone system manufacturers started buying up businesses that built network gear like Nortel buying Bay Networks etc.

There is probably something there that they could use in boosting their own VoIP products that they already have on the market like their Response Point small business VoIP system.

Not to mention competing with Google Voice. Not that there is a comparison but they are both VoIP services.

Last but not least, look how many new people Microsoft just added to their "list" to advertise to.
 
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