That Skype IPO? Don't Hold Your Breath

Working is not optinonal.... This is not a good time for many business...

Maybe Steve Jobs can buy Skype and integrate it into the factory packaging. Not just for iPhone and iTouch, but for all Apple computer products. Since they're going to be players in the portable computing world, and the cellular phone world, why not bite off a larger chunk of the telecom world? Heck, why stop there? Apple can pick up DirecTV while they're at it, and let any satellite user run Skype on a 2-way link. This would also be a good time for the cellular companies to think about leasing cellular time to the VOIP providers. Brave new world coming.

Isn't skype the same thing as yahoo messenger? Why would pay for skype when they then use yahoo messenger for free

The only problem is that when EBay bought Skype, they overlooked buying the key patent that makes the Skype platform work. The original owners still retain this patent and have told EBay they can no longer use it. EBay may be limited to selling Skype back to its original owners because they'll either be a lawsuit over the patent EBay doesn't and has never has owned or potential stockholders will be buying an empty shell. Why all these brilliant analysts have failed to report this crucial omission from the original acquisition is mystifying.

As a matter of principle, Skype is a valuable asset to Ebay, sure it may not be related or even worked out as it's core business but it's a gem that the tech industry would like to see the true value unlocked. I'm not surprised for one minute if Google is licking it's chops waiting to get thier hands on Sykpe and when Ebay does sell either in IPO or to another bidder, they will recoup more then they paid and some, especially if they can harness a partnership with Google. I will say the minute Google gets their hands on this gem, kiss Yahoo and Softee goodbye.Sykpe will make a great avenue for googs to run it's advertising over the VOIP service.

How can VOIP be patented? Obama has too much on his plate, but I'd like to see him spend just five minutes using his bully pulpit to push for patent reform.

By spinning off Skype Ebay will be taken over, within a year of Skypes IPO. More than likely by Google or Microsoft. Ebay ceased Ebay live, one of the many things they recently did to bolster the short term numbers than concentrate on growth, and they are making constant changes suitable for a buyout. Ie putting lipstick on a pig.

Ever try getting to customer service on ebay? I wonder if anyone not busy counting money trys to look at things from the customers view point. The lack of this attention will be the undoing of ebay. As well as other businesses in the american marketplace. Screw the customer! They just pay the bills.. ( customer service on ebay is a JOKE!!

In answer to why would anyone use Skype, try it for a while. You'll find you have no use for a regular phone. Between dropping my land line and cutting my cell phone plan in half I've saved about $70 month With the money I saved I added international calling to cells on Skype for all of $10 a month. Call quality is better than my cell phone most of the time. Nice feature is being able to call directly from a web page number. Not very high tech but handy. What I don't understand is with Skype around, why would anyone use Vonage?

hi

Mark these words UK mobile network provider "3" wants it to run phone calls on netbooks!

Mark these words UK mobile network provider "3" wants it to run phone calls on netbooks!

Majic Jack is an alternative to Vonage and to Skype to facilitate communication to people who still might not have internet access on the other side of the isle. It is also relatively affordable and the service seems to okay for the price: 20 dollars a year for an unlimited service. It has its down side: you can only call USA and Canada phone lines, but it seems to be better and more affordable than Vonage.

People Google is already launching free VOIP service look it up. www.google.com/voice its going live very soon. All free SKYPE and all the others will be taken down BUY GOOG!

Maybe congress/Obama could buy skype and give Ebay like 100 billion for it and then sell it to someone else for 2 billion just to help ebay out. That would be nice.

Maybe congress/Obama could buy skype and give Ebay like 100 billion for it and then sell it to someone else for 2 billion just to help ebay out. That would be nice.