Skynet, Skype.net, Microsoft does it again.
Image by Getty Images via @daylife
The acquisition of technology from another company is typical for Microsoft. Yes Skype for $8.5 billion USD, has become a Microsoft product. There have been rumors for months that Skype was up for sale, or being ‘acquired’ by the likes of Google or Facebook. Yet this ‘land snatch’ was on Microsoft’s side.
Does this mean Skype will be seen on Xbox live, replace MSN Messenger, will IT be a .net product, because that could only mane skype.net or sky.net, after the self aware computer network talked up in the Terminator movies. If you remember these computers became aware that humans were a threat to its ‘network’ and we became the hunted. Hope this isn’t the case with Skype. I surly hope that this product becomes better, but at the same time is NOT tightly integrated into the Microsoft products like Windows, and Xbox live.
This could be both good and bad for users of skype like me. One of the benefits of Skype is it is free for computer to computer, and very cost effective for calls to regular phone (under $3 US) a month. However I still worry that it could grow beyond the capabilities of the Skype network.
Thank heavens we are beyond August 29, 1997 and Sky.net isn’t aware, or is it?
Related articles
- Why Microsoft bought Skype (technovia.co.uk)
- Beyond Skype: VoIP Alternatives (zdnet.com)
- Microsoft + Skype = SkyNet? (adland.tv)
- Everything you could possibly want to know about Skype [Infographic] (thenextweb.com)
- Microsoft purchased Skype to keep it out of Google’s hands (edibleapple.com)
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#1 by IndieNation.fm on 2011/05/20 - 20:37
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Post: SkyNet is online – Skype MicroSoft http://j.mp/lQuomx #music #indie
#2 by Tehninjo0 on 2011/05/21 - 12:03
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This looks like a move to compete with Google’s Voice service to me. To date Google’s service prop has been a lot better than Skype’s: The phone number is free, incoming calls are free (whether they are VOIP or traditional), outgoing VOIP calls are free, outgoing calls in the US, Canada, and Mexico are free (till 2012), and the international rates are lower. Now with Microsoft money behind Skype that might just change.