Tag Archives | strategy

CounterPath Executes On Their Enterprise Strategy

By on November 21, 2011

CounterPath, publishers of the Bria carrier grade softphone, has recently taken measures both to build their enterprise user base and to enhance the user experience when using Bria. Not only is Bria supported on Windows and Mac PC’s but also on the iPhone, iPad and Android. In other words, Bria provides a business desktop phone [...]

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Microsoft Acquires Skype: Deal Closed!

By on October 14, 2011

Overnight Microsoft announced they had closed their acquisition of Skype, following the final EU Commission regulatory approval last week. Key points: Skype will remain as an independent business unit within Microsoft under the leadership of former Skype CEO Tony Bates who becomes President of Microsoft’s Skype Division. It’s a new tact for a Microsoft acquisition. [...]

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Microsoft Acquires Skype: EU Approval Confirmed

By on October 7, 2011

Earlier this week I reported an update on the status of the EU Commission approval, indicating that it appeared there would be no conditions placed on Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype. Today the final ruling came out with details behind the EU decision. In their decision it is interesting to note they split out the consumer [...]

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Microsoft Acquires Skype: To Receive EU Blessing – No Conditions

By on October 5, 2011

According to a report this evening out of Brussels at Financial Times’ FT.com, reporter Alex Barker states that Microsoft is to win approval of its acquisition of Skype with no conditions. No timing for an official announcement was given. Basically the approval ignored “legacy” bundling complaints and Microsoft won its argument that the market has [...]

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Microsoft Acquires Skype: One Small Step Forward at the EU

By on September 5, 2011

Recently Skype CEO Tony Bates confirmed that the major step required to complete the Microsoft acquisition of Skype is approval by the appropriate European Union competition authorities. Keep in mind: Skype, LLC is a Luxembourg-based company (Is Luxembourg the Delaware of the EU?) Microsoft will be doing the acquisition using cash from outside the U.S., [...]

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Skype Acquires GroupMe: In Search of the Mobile Shared Communications Experience

By on August 22, 2011

Since the launch of Skype for iPhone over WiFi connections more than two years ago, Skype has evolved its mobile offerings to add support for calling over 3G and video calling. They have added to the mobile platforms with Skype for Android and Skype for iPad. However, Skype is also recognizing that, while the basic [...]

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Skype Performance Update: Interesting Statistics

By on July 27, 2011

Check out the statistics that arose out of last week’s panel discussion: Skype call information; Skype for TV – coming soon to a family room near you and the change in Skype’s employee per lawyer ratio over the past year. My previous post, Skype: Evolution from “Wildly Popular and Deeply Troubled”, covered a recent panel [...]

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Skype: Evolution from “Wildly Popular and Deeply Troubled”

By on July 24, 2011

Over the past six years of covering Skype, there have been three “Masters” – the original founders – Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis (2003 to 2005), eBay (2005 to 2009) and the Silver Lake consortium (2009 to MS acquisition). And, once regulatory approvals and due diligence are completed, Microsoft will become the fourth later this [...]

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Facebook Video Chat – Powered by Skype: First Impressions

By on July 6, 2011

Today Facebook announced three new changes that empower its users with significant real time communications features: Group Chat, a site redesign and Facebook Video Calling powered by Skype. For Skype it’s a major awareness builder of the power of video calling. As suspected by the inclusion of new Facebook features in Skype 5.5 beta for [...]

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Skype for TV – Not on Windows

By on May 25, 2011

While attending CES 2011 back in January, I spent an afternoon visiting the main television vendor floor where 3D TV was definitely the number one topic of interest; however, I found, and reported on, several vendors with display kiosks demonstrating Skype for TV. Michael Wolf, at GigaOm’s NewTeeVee, recently brought renewed visibility to the Skype [...]

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