We all know that Microsoft picked up Skype for a cool $8.5 billion in May earlier this year, with boards of directors from both Microsoft and Skype having approved the acquisition previously. Well, not much was heard concerning this merger since then, but at least Microsoft has stepped forward at long last to welcome Skype to their fold in an official manner. Basically, Skype is now part of Microsoft, with Skype CEO Tony Bates taking over the title of president of the Skype Division of Microsoft – at least that is what Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says.
The Skype division will continue operate and deliver its current products to millions of users around the world, and in the longer term, the VoIP provider will see its software integrated across an array of Microsoft products in order to further broaden the reach and use of Skype with the intention of making it a prime method for folks to communicate with one another online. Skype employees working worldwide in Estonia, the Czech Republic, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the United States will be retained, so don’t worry about losing your job just yet (if you’re working for Skype) in these economically trying times.
As for the end user, we here at Ubergizmo hope that this won’t make Skype complacent, but they will continue to maintain a spirit and sense of creativity as they leverage the power of VoIP communications in different ways. [Press Release]
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