Facebook wants to acquire Skype, like Google: quite a showdown

What’s cooking at home Facebook? Apparently exactly the same dish that Google wants to prepare as well. The subject of the dispute is Skype, the giant company of free online calls which, according to the latest estimates, is worth about 4 million dollars.
It is the Reuters agency that broke the news, citing two anonymous sources very close to the environment of this tight negotiation between young but wealthy and dynamic companies.
That Facebook is moving into the calling field is no secret: a few days ago the news came out that Skype will be integrated within the social network, allowing calls between members.
On its part, Google launched a few months ago an internal communication system for VoIP calls through GMail.
The intention to capture users accustomed to online calls is therefore more than clear for both, but between saying and doing there is Skype. It would be too strong an opponent, with a user base already very large and loyal: hard to undermine this primacy.
The viable path, therefore, would pass through acquisition and Skype certainly will not want to undervalue its rich treasure of users and cash: it is a very favorable moment and the fact that Skype is about to go public testifies to this.
In reality this event should have already taken place but the company has decided to wait a few more months. This suggests that probably the negotiation with Facebook e Google has been ongoing for some time now.
If Facebook apparently aims at an outright acquisition, it seems that instead Google would prefer to consider the opportunity to establish a commercial agreement rather than full ownership, in order to enhance Google Voice or (to think the worst) perhaps just to take the mouse – Skype – out of the cat’s mouth, that is Facebook, which is now clearly the rival of Google.
The negotiations are therefore underway, very confidential and low-key: we will see this time who will come out on top.