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Bill Gates pushed $8.5 bln Skype acquisition

By Victor Hristov

Updated: May 18, 2011, 6:15 AM

Windows

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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Victor, a seasoned mobile technology expert, has spent over a decade at PhoneArena, exploring the depths of mobile photography and reviewing hundreds of smartphones across Android and iOS ecosystems. His passion for technology, coupled with his extensive knowledge of smartphone cameras and battery life, has positioned him as a leading voice in the mobile tech industry.

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