The $8.5 billion Skype deal represents the largest acquisition in Microsoft’s history — one that “will ultimately be judged by whether Microsoft can weave the product deeply into its vast product portfolio, providing a superior experience on products as various as Windows PCs and Xboxes,” reports Nick Wingfield for The New York Times.
Although Wingfield suggests that Skype and Microsoft have yet to deliver, this could soon change as Skype is expected to release a version of its software specifically for the upcoming Windows 8 — intended to work well with touch-screen computers and devices.
“We always want Skype to be first and best on Windows, but certainly a strategic part of the value in communications software is working on all platforms,” explains Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s chief executive. “We’re committed to that cross-platform support.”
“Microsoft plans to integrate Skype into Lync, a Microsoft communications product aimed at businesses,” writes Wingfield. “Another priority is making Skype video conferencing work on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console, though that product is not likely to be released this year.”
Skype still releases versions of its software to non-Microsoft devices like Android smartphones, Sony game consoles, Comcast set-top boxes and Apple mobile devices. During the first three months of 2012, Skype’s use jumped 40 percent to 100 billion minutes over the same period last year.
The $8.5 billion Skype deal represents the largest acquisition in Microsoft’s history — one that “will ultimately be judged by whether Microsoft can weave the product deeply into its vast product portfolio, providing a superior experience on products as various as Windows PCs and Xboxes,” reports Nick Wingfield for The New York Times.
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