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Skype

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Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chats over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee using a debit-based user account system. Skype was founded by Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis who were also the founders of the file sharing application Kazaa.

Skype has also become popular for its additional features which include instant messaging, file transfer, and video conferencing. Skype has 663 million registered users as of 2010.

Unlike other VoIP services, Skype is a peer-to-peer system rather than a client-server system, and makes use of background processing on computers running Skype software; the original name proposed “Sky peer-to-peer” reflects this.

Some network administrators have banned Skype on corporate, government, home, and education networks, citing reasons such as inappropriate usage of resources, excessive bandwidth usage, and security concerns.

On 10 May 2011, Microsoft Corporation agreed to acquire Skype Communications, US$8.5 billion. The company is to be incorporated as a division of Microsoft, and Microsoft will acquire all of the company’s technologies, including Skype, with the purchase.

Recent Milestones

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• 
  Skype added Elisa Steele as Corporate Vice President of Marketing. (8/20/12)
  Posted 9/6/12 at 9:23am
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  Skype acquired GroupMe. (8/21/11)
  Posted 8/21/11 at 1:44pm via techcrunch.com
• 
  Skype — Facebook Skype released (7/6/11)
  Posted 7/12/11 at 2:22pm via techcrunch.com
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  Skype — Skype reverse-engineered by Russian geek (6/2/11)
  Posted 6/9/11 at 12:09pm via ewdn.com
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  Skype — Skype Revenue Up 20 Percent To $860M In 2010; Paid Users Up 19 Percent (3/7/11)
  Posted 3/7/11 at 6:45pm via techcrunch.com
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  Skype — Skype says new CEO, shaky market will delay its IPO until at least July (1/26/11)
  Posted 1/31/11 at 4:08am via venturebeat.com
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  Skype acquired Qik for $150M. (1/6/11)
  Posted 1/6/11 at 2:04pm via businessinsider.com
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  Skype added Ramu Sunkara as Mobile Video Deployments. (1/1/11)
  Posted 5/6/13 at 3:30am
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  Skype added Vijay Tella as VP, Mobile video. (1/1/11)
  Posted 5/6/13 at 3:45am
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  Skype added Bhaskar Roy as Head of Qik Products. (1/1/11)
  Posted 5/6/13 at 4:02am
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  Skype added Alexey Timanovskiy as Chief Architect Consumer Mobile Video. (1/1/11)
  Posted 5/6/13 at 4:57am
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  Skype added Tony Bates as CEO. (10/4/10)
  Posted 10/4/10 at 9:13am
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  Skype added Mark Gillett as COO. (1/1/10)
  Posted 8/8/11 at 2:57pm
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  Skype received $50M in Debt funding. (11/19/09)
  Posted 12/23/09 at 10:09pm via techcrunch.com
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  Skype — eBay completes Skype sale to Silver Lake Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Joltid, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. (11/19/09)
  Posted 3/14/10 at 8:22am via techcrunch.com
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  Skype — Skype hits 521 million users and $175 million in Q3 (10/21/09)
  Posted 10/21/09 at 6:28pm via techcrunch.com

Videos

Screenshots

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Above: Skype Screenshot -- #1
Uploaded: 6/28/12

Products

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Traffic Analytics

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Sources

1. EBay Buys Skype for $2.6 Billion (pcworld.com) [edit]
2. What Skype Really Paid For GroupMe (techcrunch.com) [edit]
3. CONFIRMED: Skype To Acquire Qik For $150 Million (businessinsider.com) [edit]
4. Skype Founders Take A Break From Starting Lawsuits To Start Music Company (techcrunch.com) [edit]
5. TrialPay Backed By Investors of Skype, Google, and Akamai For Payment Platform (thealarmclock.com) [edit]
6. LightReading (lightreading.com) [edit]
7. efinancialnews.com [edit]
8. vcgate.com [edit]
9. prnewswire.co.uk [edit]
10. eBay Completes Skype Sale at $2.75 Billion Valuation (techcrunch.com) [edit]
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Ebay Investor relations (investor.ebay.com) [edit]
Skype opens up to corporate SIP communications (about.skype.com) [edit]
Skype Hits 521 Million Users And $185 Million In Quarterly Revenue (techcrunch.com) [edit]
Breaking: eBay Completes Skype Sale At $2.75 Billion Valuation (techcrunch.com) [edit]
Skype says new CEO, shaky market will delay its IPO until at least July (venturebeat.com) [edit]
Skype Revenue Up 20 Percent To $860M In 2010; Paid Users Up 19 Percent (techcrunch.com) [edit]
Skype reverse-engineered by Russian geek (ewdn.com) [edit]
Facebook Launches Skype-Powered Video Calling (techcrunch.com) [edit]