Technology, Internet Phone | featured news

Welp, it's official. Microsoft and Skype are one. Well, Skype isn't alone in this world any longer, anyway. While this deal was announced months back, there has been plenty of work in the time being to ensure all the legalities were ironed out. Now, Microsoft has closed its acquisition of Skype, locking in an $8.5 billion payment that was...

The European Commission approved Friday the proposed $8.5 billion acquisition of the Internet phone and video communication provider Skype by Microsoft Corp., saying the deal would not significantly impede competition in Europe. The approval appears to be the final step in the technology company’s effort to acquire Skype. The European Commission is the EU’s executive branch.

Skype filed plans to sell up to an estimated $100 million of American depositary shares in an initial public offering as the Internet-phone company parent firm plans to convert into a Luxembourg-based stock company.