Windows Software

Bill Gates pushed $8.5 bln Skype acquisition

Victor H.

posted by Victor H.

May 18, 2011, 4:16 AM

Bill Gates pushed $8.5 bln Skype acquisition

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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7 Comments

SMARTGUY unregistered

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7. SMARTGUY unregistered

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

posted on May 18, 2011, 3:01 PM 0

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6. taz89

Posts: 2014; Member since: May 03, 2011

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

posted on May 18, 2011, 12:21 PM 0

nik0007 unregistered

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5. nik0007 unregistered

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

posted on May 18, 2011, 12:21 PM 0

Kartiel unregistered

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3. Kartiel unregistered

I hope microsoft doesnt fuck it up.

posted on May 18, 2011, 9:59 AM 0

MrKnowitAll unregistered

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4. MrKnowitAll unregistered

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

posted on May 18, 2011, 11:44 AM 1

mangavideo unregistered

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8. mangavideo unregistered

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

posted on May 19, 2011, 9:54 PM 0

IOS5 unregistered

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2. IOS5 unregistered

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

posted on May 18, 2011, 7:59 AM 1

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