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Posted on 05/10/2011 11:09:01 PM PDT by WesternCulture
Skype, the IP telephony company founded and part-owned by Swedish entrepreneur Niklas Zennström, has been bought bought by US software giant Microsoft, the firms confirmed on Tuesday afternoon.
The statement confirmed speculation over the deal to buy the firm, whose product allows users to conduct video and telephone calls over the internet.
Microsoft confirmed that the deal is worth some $8.5 billion, dwarfing the $6 billion the US firm paid for online advertising firm aQuantive in 2007 and its largest acquisition since its founding in 1975.
The news of the pending deal has shocked analysts who consider the price to be a considerable premium for a firm which has consistently struggled to generate profit.
"It is going to be a very exciting year," said Helena Nordman-Knutson, a telecom analyst at Öhman Fondkommission referring to the highly competitive global telecom market.
There are suggestions that Microsoft plans to integrate the service into its Xbox 360 games console, according to a report in the UK Guardian.
Microsoft were on Tuesday morning unwilling to comment on the report, Skype was meanwhile unavailable for comment.
Niklas Zennström founded Skype together with Dane Janus Friis in 2003 and the firm was declared one of the success stories of the early internet age when it was sold to US auction website Ebay for $3.1 billion in 2005.
Zennström and Friis shared around $2.5 billion from the deal.
Despite rapid growth in user numbers Ebay sold around 70 percent of the stock to a group of investors comprising of Silver Lake Partners, CPPIB, Andreessen Horowitz, and the original founders - returning Zennström and Friis a 14 percent stake in the firm.
While the number of people using Skype has grown in recent years, revenues remaining small due to the low numbers of users paying for services. The firm has posted losses in four of the last five years.
Previous rumours have circulated in May linking Skype to takeovers by Facebook and Google. In talks with these companies Skype has been valued to $3-4 billion.
This is great news! Microsoft Lync for business customers is shows great innovation in communications. Though Windows Live Messenger would eventually benefit from those innovations, buying Skype with its installed base and expertise in the consumer space can result in benefits for both corporate users and home users.
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I was an adult during the Carter administration. Communism flourished during his tenure. We had ungodly stagflation because of his policies, and I’m afraid we are about to see that once again.
My point is that we’ve been through this before, and we will get through it this time.
I have great faith in the American people. When we have been awakened, then we are a sleeping giant. The silent majority votes...and votes the other side out.
I have great faith in the American people. When we have been awakened, then we are a sleeping giant. The silent majority votes...and votes the other side out.”
- I too think America will get through Obama, just like you got through Carter.
Everyone desires both freedom and security, but replacing individual freedom with big governments provides nothing but false security in the long run and I believe most Americans will discover this sooner or later.
One reason for posting articles etcetera dealing with recent Swedish political and economic history is that my country is one of the prime examples of the intrinsic potential and strength of Capitalism as well as an example of how Socialism (especially during the era of appr. 1970-1990) failed even in a nation disposing of rich natural resources, a stable political situation, firmly rooted Protestant work ethics and a homogeneous, well educated and law abiding population.
Our close neighbors the Germans are well aware of the transformation Swedish society has underwent during the last 20 years and this is one of the factors that lately have made them increasingly skeptical to big governments, Socialism and uncompromising trade unions. It seems like Merkel (who's a good friend of our PM, Reinfeldt) will get successful in restoring substantial economic growth and development in her nation. If only France and Italy would follow this example..
Sweden might not be the single most influential country on the Globe, but studying the political and economical development of Sweden from around 1960 and onwards is something everyone could learn a lot from.
Regards,
Western Culture
- In a way this might be true, but personally I've met with thousands of Americans who have made the impression of being very interested in the world existing outside their home town. Not only American visitors to Europe, but also common Americans I've encountered upon visiting the US.
Thank you for your appreciative words regarding my country and God bless America! from Scandinavia.
“Everyone desires both freedom and security, but replacing individual freedom with big governments provides nothing but false security in the long run and I believe most Americans will discover this sooner or later.”
You are totally, absolutely right! We have an unpopular government trying to instill big, European style socialist government on us, and we are fighting back!
As for Merkel...she’s been stellar WRT Germany’s economic situation, and I don’t doubt that Sweden has been just as stellar, as well.
Please forgive my staunchness...I love the USA. We’ve been so maligned by leaders overseas, and in our own country, of late. It’s sad that it’s hard to recieve a compliment when offered from one who is in Europe.
You have great insight into global politics.
Thank you for posting to me, and thank you for putting up with me. ;o)
United States Patent Application 20110153809
Kind Code A1
Ghanem; George ; et al. June 23, 2011
Legal Intercept
Abstract
Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to silently recording communications. In aspects, data associated with a request to establish a communication is modified to cause the communication to be established via a path that includes a recording agent. Modification may include, for example, adding, changing, and/or deleting data within the data. The data as modified is then passed to a protocol entity that uses the data to establish a communication session. Because of the way in which the data has been modified, the protocol entity selects a path that includes the recording agent. The recording agent is then able to silently record the communication.
Inventors: Ghanem; George; (Redmond, WA) ; Bizga; Lawrence Felix; (Monroe, WA) ; Khanchandani; Niraj K.; (Redmond, WA)
Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
Redmond WA
Serial No.: 645485
Series Code: 12
Filed: December 23, 2009
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