Microsoft to Acquire Skype for $8.5 Billion - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Microsoft to Acquire Skype for $8.5 Billion

083144 msskype

Rumors of the acquisition broke last night, and this morning Microsoft has confirmed that they are acquiring Skype for $8.5 billion.

Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Skype Global S. r.l today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Microsoft will acquire Skype, the leading Internet communications company, for $8.5 billion in cash from the investor group led by Silver Lake. The agreement has been approved by the boards of directors of both Microsoft and Skype.

Skype is the popular voice over internet service that also offers a Mac and iOS App version.

Microsoft reports that 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. The press release also states that they will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms.

Popular Stories

Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Gurman: iPhone Ultra Wows Early Testers, Except for Its Camera

Sunday August 23, 2026 11:19 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone Ultra is winning over the few people who have had hands-on time with the device, though the camera setup may leave some users wanting, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says people who have used the device – which is reportedly referred to internally as the iPhone Ultra – like how it fits in your...
iPhone 18 Pro Dark Cherry Feature

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra: When Will Apple Event Be Announced?

Monday August 24, 2026 6:45 am PDT by
It is now late August, meaning that Apple's annual iPhone event is just around the corner. Below, we take a look at when the event might be held this year. This September, Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and an all-new foldable iPhone that will reportedly be named the iPhone Ultra. The regular iPhone 18, a lower-end iPhone 18e, and the iPhone Air 2 are not...
apple magic keyboard with glyphs 2026 refresh

Apple Quietly Refreshes Magic Keyboards

Tuesday August 25, 2026 7:22 am PDT by
Apple today quietly introduced updated Magic Keyboard models with revised U.S. English key labeling. On the new keyboards, the tab, caps lock, shift, return, and delete keycaps are labeled with glyphs rather than edge text. On the full-size models with a numeric keypad, the change goes further, with the home, page up, page down, end, clear, and enter keys also swapping their text labels for...

Top Rated Comments

AtHomeBoy_2000 Avatar
200 months ago
$8.5 billion?????
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fungus Avatar
200 months ago
And you thought the Skype 5 update for Mac was a step backward... :rolleyes:
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
200 months ago
Thank god the world ends in 2012.... doesn't leave Microsoft enough time to screw this up!
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
840quadra Avatar
200 months ago
So is this going to become a pay service now, and require us to enter complicated license keys every time we try to call someone?

A7BQT IDONT L1K3 53R1AL C0D35


I am kidding. But, hopefully Microsoft can actually improve Skype going forward. Perhaps some Competition for Google Voice.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roadbloc Avatar
200 months ago
So then was Bill Gates using it wrong?

Bill Gates - Windows Media Center Blooper
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gtYoPGvcFI&feature=related

Bill Gates, Windows 98 Blue Screen of Death
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW7Rqwwth84


How about all the people in these videos?

Windows 7 Crashes On Live TV
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p_q9sh95pw&feature=related

Windows 7 Blue Screen of Death
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vUqiIzifko


Is the guy in Japan pressing the icon on the desktop of a touch-based Windows 7 PC touching it wrong? Is it a "bad touch? :rolleyes:

Yeah, because every single demo of every Apple product has gone flawlessly well. :rolleyes:
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
glossywhite Avatar
200 months ago
Most of you critics would be praising this deal if it was Apple making the acquisition.
Don't be doing irrational things like speaking the truth, or the fanboys will vote you down... oh look, they already have.

Fwiw, I agree with you. Apple does not rule the world, and, tbh, they're becoming quite boring and predictable.

[edit]

Ironically, people in apple circles are always waffling on about how so-and-so copied this, that or the other from the mighty apple, and yet look - MR has "copied" (?) the digg vote up/down feature.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)