Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype has now closed. The company paid $8.5 billion.
Microsoft says the two companies will remain focused on connecting people across all devices, and accelerating both companies’ efforts to transform real-time communications for consumers and enterprise customers.
“Skype is a phenomenal product and brand that is loved by hundreds of millions of people around the world,” said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. “We look forward to working with the Skype team to create new ways for people to stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues — anytime, anywhere.”
Skype becomes its own business division of Microsoft. Skype CEO Tony Bates takes the role of President of the Skype Division, and reports directly to Ballmer.
In a post on the Skype Blog, Bates writes:
Joining forces with Microsoft is the best way to accelerate this mission and capitalize on our position at the intersection of social, mobile and video communications. Simply put, we want to transform communications. We will do this by building the best products in the world that allow all of us to do things together whenever we’re apart and by creating teams who work faster and smarter across the globe building those world-class products.
Microsoft is committed to the ubiquity of the Skype experience – communication across every device and every platform will remain a primary focus. And we’ve only scratched the surface. We’re at the starting line of integrating world-class talent, innovative technologies and products. By bringing together the best of Microsoft and the best of Skype, we’ll deliver amazing new experiences for consumers and business around the world.
He also shared the following video:
Skype will continue to offer its current products, but in the long term, Microsoft says it will be integrated across an array of Microsoft products.