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Bill Gates pushed $8.5 bln Skype acquisition

Bill Gates pushed $8.5 bln Skype acquisition

Posted: 18 May 2011, 04:16, by Victor H.

Categories: Windows Windows Software Software Bookmark

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Bill Gates pushed $8.5 bln Skype acquisition

Former Microsoft man-in-charge Bill Gates might not steer the wheel in Redmond anymore, but he could have been an important factor in the company’s industry-changing $8.5 billion acquisition of Skype. In an interview with BBC, Gates himself noted that he was “a strong proponent at the board level for the deal being done." But is this enough of a justification for Microsoft’s largest acquisition to date, which raised a lot of eyebrows last week? According to Gates it certainly is: "I think it's a great, great deal for Skype. I think it's a great deal for Microsoft," he added.

It seems that Gates is still a strong influence for Redmond and if you’re living in the UK, you can take a look at what one of the richest people in tech had to say about the growing importance of software and video conferencing in the interview at the source link below. On the infographic on the right you can also check out how Skype made it from a little-known software company started in Estonia to getting acquired by eBay and finally to a staggering $8.5 billion value.

source: Pocket-lint and TheNextWeb

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2. IOS5 (unregistered) posted on 18 May 2011, 07:59 1 0

Mr. gates I have an small tech/ developer company for sale! Looking for only 500k!

3. Kartiel (unregistered) posted on 18 May 2011, 09:59 0 0

I hope microsoft doesnt fuck it up.

4. MrKnowitAll (unregistered) posted on 18 May 2011, 11:44 1 0

I don't know a product which Microsoft f**ked up!

8. mangavideo (unregistered) posted on 19 May 2011, 21:54 0 0

Maybe Kino (I think that was the name....) phone...

5. nik0007 (unregistered) posted on 18 May 2011, 12:21 0 1

Microsoft bought Skype for 8.5 billion dollars... hahahaha, idiots!!!!
They could have downloaded it for free!

6. taz89 posted on 18 May 2011, 12:21 0 0

what company that microsoft brought have they f__ked up....everyone keeps going on about it for no good reason

7. SMARTGUY (unregistered) posted on 18 May 2011, 15:01 0 0

microsoft is back in the game! First Nokia now skype! Next time they should buy sony, since sony is losin money right now so it would be cheap