Rumors of a Skype sale have been hovering around eBay for more than a year. PaidContent's Rafat Ali posts the results of a Cowen and Company research note in which the analysts size up potential
acquirers of the Internet telephony firm. These include Microsoft, Google, Yahoo and Facebook.
According to the note, Microsoft is the highest probability acquirer, because, as Ali says,
the software giant could "integrate (Skype's) communications features with its planned consumer Web-based software products." Google, which the note characterizes as a medium-probability acquirer,
would also seek to combine Skype's communications features with its Gmail email client. However, due to the high price tag ($1.6 billion according to Ali) and the fact that Gmail chat already has
audio and video, Google would do better buying a smaller technology company, the note says.
Cowen describes both Yahoo and Facebook as low probability acquirers. For Yahoo, adding Skype
would enhance the company's email and IM services, but money is still the big issue. New CEO Carol Bartz has also been wary of big acquisitions, the note says. Facebook, meanwhile, is without a strong
IM client. Its chat feature lacks audio and video, which makes Skype an attractive proposition, but again, money is an issue. Facebook's declining market value makes an acquisition all the more
unlikely.
Read the whole story at PaidContent.org »