Well, it"s official. The Microsoft-Skype deal has officially closed as it was approved by the board of directors of both companies, as well as the FTC.
Earlier this year, Microsoft announced it had offered $8.5 Billion for the Internet communications company, the biggest acquisition Microsoft has ever made. In a press release today, Microsoft confirmed what we already knew was inevitable, the deal has completed.
According to the release;
Microsoft and Skype will remain focused on their shared goal of connecting all people across all devices and accelerating both companies’ efforts to transform real-time communications for consumers and enterprise customers.
Microsoft announced that Skype is (as of today) an entirely new business division within Microsoft. Steve Ballmer said that "Skype is a phenomenal product and brand that is loved by hundreds of millions of people around the world" and that Microsoft "look forward to working with the Skype team to create new ways for people to stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues — anytime, anywhere."
Previous CEO of Skype, Tony Bates, has assumed the position of president of the Skype Division, effective immediately. His position reports directly to Steve Ballmer. Microsoft is taking this acquisition seriously. Bates said today that Skype"s goal is to reach a billion users daily, and with Microsoft this may actually be possible.
It"s already been confirmed that Microsoft will feature tighter integration with Windows and Windows Phone in the near future, with the company already promising a Skype application "within months" (well, back in April). We assume it"ll come out soon now that the deal has been finalized. The announcement also comes with a great video featuring slow cuts and cheesy music, which we"ve embedded below for your enjoyment.