eBay to scoop up Skype?

Author: Jason Cundall
Published: 8th September 2005
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eBay to scoop up Skype?

eBay to buy Skype? The bidding may reach $3 billion.

According to pundits writing for the Wall Street Journal, it looks as if everyone's favourite online car boot sale is eyeing up VoIP specialists Skype, in a possible multi-billion dollar take over bid:

NEW YORK (Reuters) - EBay Inc. is in talks to acquire Internet-telephone company Skype Technologies SA for between $2 billion and $3 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

Citing people familiar with the matter, the newspaper said the deal would represent a dramatic shift in strategy for the world's largest online auction site.

The talks are at a sensitive stage and could fall apart, according to one person briefed on the matter, the Journal said.

An eBay spokesman declined to comment and Skype officials could not be reached for comment, the newspaper said.

More from ExtremeTech.

Why would eBay want Skype though? Diversification? Must be, as it's not eBay's core business, is it? When they snaffled up PayPal, it made sense - they're in control of both the listing and the main payment channel. But Skype? It'd give them IM and VoIP, but the only eBay related use I could see it being put to is to offer real-time communication between buyer and seller.

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