Technology giant Microsoft has revealed it will acquire voice and video communications company Skype, according to a press release. Both companies have approved the deal, which breaks the scales at a staggering $8.5 billion, allowing Microsoft to control Skype’s future, which now includes full integration into just about every Microsoft device on the market.
Microsoft notes that we can expect Skype to appear on Xbox Live (with Kinect support), as well as the company’s Outlook email client and Windows Phone. But fear not, Android, iPhone, and Mac users, Skype’s new owners assure us that non-Microsoft platforms will still be supported, although we’d have to imagine anything with a Microsoft badge will get first dibs.
Rumors had been swirling earlier this month around Skype’s being scooped up by a number of different companies including Google and Facebook. Analysts originally predicted Skype’s price tag could possibly push $4 billion. So while we’ll likely never really know how many companies were making bids, it may be telling that the final sale price was such a lofty amount.
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