Around the Net
Skype Courted By Facebook, Google
- Reuters, Thursday, May 5, 2011 11:54 AM
In light of its delayed IPO, Skype is reportedly being courted by both Facebook and Google. One source tells Reuters that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has engaged in internal discussions about buying Skype, while another source said Facebook has reached out to the Luxembourg-based company about forming a joint venture.
"Google has also held early talks for a joint venture with Skype, the second source said," Reuters reports. "The discussions are in early stages, and it is not clear which option the companies favor." Such a deal could be worth $3 billion to $4 billion, according to Reuters -- "which, if plausible, is illuminating about how much cash the social network has in the bank," the Guardian notes.
For Facebook, "The deal would make sense," as it would give the social network an immediate way to add voice and video conferencing to what Business Insider calls a "pretty lame Messages feature." "The fit for Google isn't as clear," according to BI. "Google already has a voice and video chat service called Google Chat ... But it might be willing to pay up just to keep Skype out of its top rival's hands."
Skype's recently appointed CEO Tony Bates just pushed the company's planned IPO to the second half of this year. Yet, "It remains unclear if Bates's decision to delay the possible IPO was made to help fluff up Skype's valuation ahead of the firm going public, or if he is simply waiting for the best suitor to step forward with a desirable buyout offer," The Register writes.
Meanwhile, "Skype and Facebook are no strangers," Mashable points out. "In October, when Skype released its version 5.0 software for Windows, it included a Facebook tab that let users chat or call Facebook friends via Skype."
