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| eBay buy out Skype for $2.6 billion |
| Monday, September 12, 2005 at 15:53 by Kathleen Hill |
eBay Inc. has agreed to acquire Luxembourg-based Skype Technologies for approximately $2.6 billion in up-front cash and eBay stock.
eBay hope the acquisition will strengthen their global marketplace and payments platform, while opening several new lines of business and creating significant new opportunities for the company.
The deal also represents a major opportunity for Skype to advance its leadership in Internet voice communications and offer people worldwide new ways to communicate in a global online era. Skype, eBay and PayPal aim to create an unparalleled e-commerce and communications engine for buyers and sellers around the world.
Founded in 2002 by Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, Skype offers high-quality voice communications to anyone with an Internet connection anywhere in the world. The Skype software is easy to download and install, and enables free calls between Skype users online. Skype's premium services provide low cost connectivity to traditional fixed and mobile telephones. Skype's software also offers features such as, voicemail, instant messaging, call forwarding and conference calling.
Meg Whitman, CEO of eBay said,
"Communications is at the heart of e-commerce and community. By combining the two leading e-commerce franchises, eBay and PayPal, with the leader in Internet voice communications, we will create an extraordinarily powerful environment for business on the Net."
Janus Friis, Skype CEO and co-founder said,
"We can't think of any better platform to fulfill this vision to become the voice of the Internet than with eBay and PayPal. We're great admirers of how eBay and PayPal have simplified global e-commerce and payments. Together we feel we can really change the way that people communicate, shop and do business online."
One of the fastest growing companies on the Internet, Skype already has 54 million members in 225 countries.
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| Well I suppose eBay Buyers/Sellers will be able to chat for free....
Perth, Australia :losing The Ashes :^( |
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| The Skype guys made out like bandits!
To think, they went from Kazaa to this :) |
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