Just as predicted
In a recent post, I discussed the fact that with competition in the VOIP software field from Microsoft and Google, small innovator Skype better get itself sold while the getting is good. Little did I know that eBay was already in talks with tem about a $2+ billion buyout.
eBay, long dominant in the online auction field, is clearly looking to invade the desktop. As a Wall Street Journal article ("EBay May Buy Web Phone Firm In Strategy Shift", 9/8/05) put it:
While other online leaders such as Yahoo Inc. and Google Inc. have pushed the boundaries of their offerings, eBay has stuck more directly to the business of acting as middleman between individual buyers and sellers. But the person familiar with the situation said that eBay is keen on adding services that make it easier for its customers to buy and sell goods online, as it did when it acquired the electronic-payment processing service PayPal in 2002.
eBay has 157 million customers worldwide, notes the article, just the kind of computer-savvy users that might be quick adopters of the technology. With other computer Titans moving fast, privately-held Skype may have few options about selling out.
