In case you didn’t know, Microsoft has just purchased Skype for $8.5-billion (cash!!!). Skype allows for audio and video communication using voice over IP technology (VoIP). The company plans to implement Skype in its Kinect and Xbox 360 products. Here’s a clip from the press release:
Skype will support Microsoft devices like Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone and a wide array of Windows devices, and Microsoft will connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live and other communities. Microsoft will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms.
With friends and family around the world, I’m a huge fan of Skype. The call quality is outstanding and the international rates are competitive. I use the free Skype-to-Skype service, as well as Skype Out calls to mobile phones. I’m excited to see how Microsoft implements Skype in its Windows Phone and Xbox 360 platforms…but I’m also a bit afraid of the company wrecking a perfectly good product. Let’s see how this one plays out.
Any of you excited by the Skype acquisition? What do you think it will add to your Xbox 360 gaming experience?
I think this could be a very interesting acquisition. MS has great bandwidth infrastructure to support this. I'm also interested to see how the carriers treat a native VoIP client on a smartphone.
I agree that it'll be interesting, but I'm still astonished by the price — more than 2X what the company was valued at. Traditionally, the carriers in America hate VoIP. I think that's going to change with unlimited data disappearing. With tiered data + overage fees, the carriers will embrace anything that runs up the meter.
Yet they will still have a minimum voice plan attached lol.
Does Skype have some patent in place that makes it that valuable? I thought they were doing an IPO soon…perhaps part of the value was to sway them to not do so. When I leave ATT I'm going to be a Skype customer for more than Skype to Skype.
Yes, Skype has a bundle of interesting VoIP patents. My analysts friends in SF said that the investors were getting impatient and didn't want to wait for an IPO. They also said that this deal will be huge for Facebook, since Microsoft is also a Facebook investor.
ah….the Facebook. It always comes back to that.
I don't ever use skype, and the people I know who do use it only use it for laptop to laptop chat, barely using the video except to see each other while they type to each other.
This I'm looking froward to. Skype makes my PC run like Molasses on a cold Vermont day.
Isn't this the same PC that can't handle Facebook games?
Lmao I really shouldn't though because my Mac can't even stream videos but the DVD player is awesome lol.
The same. My 360 is like 14 times more powerful than my PC. We also have Skype on the wife's laptop and it works fine. But I generally don't use my wife's laptop. So having it on the 360 would be a very good thing in my mind. Cheaper than buying a new PC, that's for sure.
I love Skype. I use it for chatting everyday and use it on occasion for video chats. But what I love about it is that its free. I have no desire to use it on my XBOX because I know it will be limited to XBL Gold members only and I don't want to have to pay to use something that is already free….just like the rest of their services.
LOL good angle there. I wonder if that Gold sub would allow you to call landlines and cells using Skype?
Domestically, that would be an interesting possibility, but I doubt it. Skype brings in a lot of revenue with subscriptions and call credits.
I was more or less thinking XBL Gold was going up another $5-$10 per year now lol
It probably won't allow you anything special, just to be able to use it.
I am pissed because I tried to use the Hulu Plus that was free to 'everyone' over the weekend. Guess what it is free to everyone who has XBL Gold accounts, not silver. I'd like to try the stuff before I invest any money in it.
Also while I am bagging on my XBOX, I gave away my 360 this weekend. LOL.
But only because I was given a new 4Gb one. Just need to buy a HDD for it I guess, but my 8Gb flash drive is doing just fine for now.
I really hate the new Mac client they put out. Why did they have to mess with it???? I stick to using my iPhone for skype now.
I really wanted to roll back the old version of Skype but my Time Machine drive died. My gf’s hair dryer was obviously using too much electricity. I’m sure by it dimming the lights it made the platters spin slower while doing its thing at random times.
Have you tried using a WABAC Machine????
I hated that damn show.
This was the biggest acquisition Microsoft has ever made, topping the the next biggest by $2-billion. Financial analysts are skewering Microsoft and the stock has taken a 1.4-percent dip. They’re pointing to its failures with Danger (the Sidekick people) and its $6-billion flop with acquiring aQuantive.