Unofficial news has emerged regarding Cisco Systems’ interest in Skype. According to TechCrunch, a deal worth $5 billion is reportedly under consideration.
The news of Cisco‘s potential acquisition of Skype has spread worldwide in the blink of an eye. It appears a very generous offer has been made for Skype, and the timing is anything but coincidental: the deal would become more attractive if concluded before Skype’s initial public offering.
If this information is confirmed and negotiations conclude favorably, Cisco would find itself in a dominant position in the communications market, covering an additional consumer segment: VoIP calls.
It’s no secret that VoIP telephony is growing exponentially, as evidenced by Google’s recent entry into the market for free VoIP calls on Gmail.
It’s important to remember that this is not the first major offer Skype has received, but merely the latest: Skype’s history includes eBay’s acquisition and subsequent partial divestment. Google could also have acquired Skype, had it not been for potential antitrust concerns that might have deterred the search giant.
In any case, it’s clear that significant shifts are underway in the sector, not least because of Skype’s imminent stock market debut.
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