Skype's future under Microsoft: integration everywhere?

[JMH]

Microsoft has big plans for Skype; we just don’t know exactly what they are. But with Microsoft gaining both US and European regulatory approval for its $8.5 billion acquisition, the merger is likely to be completed in the near future, letting Microsoft integrate Skype into various product lines.

The most obvious places for integration are Lync, Microsoft’s unified communications platform, and Windows Phone. But over time, Skype could be baked into more products like Outlook, Windows Live Essentials, and Xbox Live, or even become a pre-installed component of Windows on the desktop, analysts are speculating. While users of the current Skype service probably won’t see any major changes immediately, future versions integrated with Microsoft products could get the Metro interface that dominates Windows Phones and the upcoming Windows 8 desktop software.

Skype's future under Microsoft: integration everywhere?

 

[seekermeister]

Unless they do integrate it into Windows 8, I really don't care what they do with it. I subscribed once for a year with Skype, but never got it to work once, other than contacting their testing number. Perhaps if integrated, it would work better.

 

[qaisjp]

Skype is good, not good, but great. I get to contact my friends all over the world. But I haven't seen any Skype updates since Microsoft bought it...

 

[seekermeister]

Actually, Microsoft hasn't bought it yet, it's still pending. Under those circumstances, it doesn't surprise me that Skype wouldn't try too hard to update anything, unless it was very necessary. I'm wondering if current Skype personnel will be kept on staff or not?

 

[qaisjp]

Scratch what I said, I was having a problem with skype a few moments back so I had to reinstall it. I saw a new call screen and better emoticons/smileys/emotions. So they updated that. Who owns Skype atm? or does it own itself?

 

[seekermeister]

30% eBay and 70% to a consortium comprized of Silver Lake Partners, Joltid, CPPIB, and Andreessen Horowitz.

 

[Imperfect1]

I can totally see great value in Skype. It's the only service that I know of that has all of these functions: computer to computer calling, computer to land-line and/or cell phone calling, video calling, IM service, SMS service, conference calling for up to 5 people for video calls, telephone calls and/or IMs, and in addition to that, a relatively secure app for transferring documents from one user to another. And by the way, many of the above services are FREE.