InfoAnda - Analysis: Skype, better with Facebook than Google? |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Boat driver: Coast Guard vessel struck from behind | 22 December 2009
British police arrest two in Syria terrorism investigation | | 10 October 2012
Mobile gear market to grow 7 percent in 2011 | | 29 July 2010

Soldiers' mutiny raises concern in Israel | International | | 17 November 2009

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Analysis: Skype, better with Facebook than Google? |

Edition: U.S. Article Comments (2) Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read Al Qaeda plotted 9/11 anniversary rail attack: U.S. 05 May 2011 Photos show three dead men at bin Laden raid house 12:02am EDT Photos show three dead men at bin Laden raid house 04 May 2011 Mississippi floods force evacuations near Memphis 05 May 2011 Photos show three dead men at bin Laden raid house 12:01am EDT Discussed 168 Obama to make statement late Sunday, White House says 141 Concerns raised over shooting of unarmed bin Laden, burial 121 Donald Trump calls U.S. leaders ”stupid” Watched Legendary founder of Seal Team Six speaks Thu, May 5 2011 Video of bin Laden compound fire Mon, May 2 2011 Bin Laden unarmed when killed - White House Tue, May 3 2011 Analysis: Skype, better with Facebook than Google? Tweet Share this By Jennifer Saba NEW YORK (Reuters) - As two Internet powerhouses slug it out to tie the knot with Skype, Facebook looks likely to be a more aggressive suitor than Google, and the world's largest social network may make for a better fit. Reuters... Email Print Related News Exclusive: Facebook, Google mull Skype deals Thu, May 5 2011 Renren's big day, a prelude to Facebook IPO Wed, May 4 2011 Glencore $11 billion IPO to make billionaires of bosses Wed, May 4 2011 Sony suffers second major user data theft Mon, May 2 2011 Sony to resume some PlayStation services Sun, May 1 2011 Analysis & Opinion Tech wrap: Facebook, Google mull Skype tie-ups Virtual currencies are coming for your cash Related Topics Technology » Media » Facebook » Stocks Zubair Ghumro speaks to his friend Sheeraz Qazalbash using Skype software at an internet cafe in central London August 10, 2010. Credit: Reuters/Paul Hackett By Jennifer Saba NEW YORK | Thu May 5, 2011 9:52pm EDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - As two Internet powerhouses slug it out to tie the knot with Skype, Facebook looks likely to be a more aggressive suitor than Google, and the world's largest social network may make for a better fit. Reuters reported Wednesday that Facebook and Google are separately weighing partnerships with Skype, the popular web video telephony service used by millions around the globe for communication. Talks with Facebook and Google are still preliminary, but any deal could involve an outright takeout or a joint venture partnership, two sources told Reuters. A deal involving Skype, which is readying for an IPO, could be valued at $3 billion to $4 billion, the first source said. Skype's public offering is expected to raise about $1 billion, several other sources said. Analysts and technology observers are betting on Facebook, in the belief the two make better companions and that Skype completes Facebook by providing assets it does not have. "It's not surprising to me that both these companies are interested," said Eric Jackson, founder and manager of the investment firm Ironfire Capital. "It's a much more valuable asset to Facebook than to Google." Google already has voice chat and video capabilities, though Skype is a more robust product, said Rory Maher, an analyst with Hudson Square Research. It could incorporate Skype into Google Voice, and even get some social-media credibility after it failed in an attempt to do so with Buzz. "There are benefits that Google has from combining Skype, but I think it's less clean than it is for Facebook," says Maher. Conversely, Facebook has that much more incentive to snap up Skype because it would encourage people to spend more time on the site than they already do -- virtually the social network's raison d'etre. "Communication is core to what Facebook users do," said Mo Koyfman, a principal at the venture capital firm Spark Capital. "Owning that platform would be very interesting." Google, Facebook and Skype declined to comment. THE ART OF SKYPE Skype is still on track for an IPO later in 2011, raising as much as $1 billion by some estimates. That it has become the belle of the ball, attracting the interest of the Internet's two most dominant powers, bodes well for its debut. Last year, Skype boasted about 124 million connected users every month by the end of June. But just 8.1 million were paying customers, using Skype to make calls to traditional phones at discounted rates. The company was founded in 2003 and bought by eBay two years later for $3.1 billion. Ebay then sold a majority stake in Skype to an investor group in 2009, while keeping about a third of the company. Now, both Skype and Facebook could tap new users worldwide while Facebook stands to gain a new revenue stream, Koyfman said. Facebook had net income of $355 million in the first nine months of 2010 on revenue of $1.2 billion. It is one of a handful of Internet companies including Twitter, Groupon and Zynga that have stoked interest from investors eager to jump on the social media bandwagon. And it has also put the big Internet guns -- including Google -- on alert. Indeed, some speculate that Google could be bidding for Skype just to keep it out of the hands of other companies. "Any deal that takes a great asset away from Facebook is a win for Google," suggested Ironfire Capital's Jackson. (Reporting by Jennifer Saba; Editing by Edwin Chan and Steve Orlofsky) Technology Media Facebook Tweet this Share this Link this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language, all capital letters or appear to be spam, and we review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. Comments (2) davidljohnston wrote: Although I love using Facebook I love Android. On my mobile right now. If Google acquires Skype it could compete with mobile carriers like Verizon. That would make my phone bill cheaper. I hate paying $3,000 a year for my family plan. My verizon connection isn’t that good anymore anyway. On all our computers I use Skype and the calls are clear enough. I am furious that I can’t make Skype calls on my phone or even on tablets that Verizon blocks anyway even though tablets don’t make Verizon calls! May 05, 2011 9:55pm EDT -- Report as abuse NickBright wrote: This analysis is wrong. Google’s capacity to support social networking is further reinforced by its Android OS and the unprecedented massive wave of individuals moving to that mobile platform. May 05, 2011 9:57pm EDT -- Report as abuse See All Comments » Add Your Comment Social Stream (What's this?) © Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters Editorial Editions: Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom United States Reuters Contact Us Advertise With Us Help Journalism Handbook Archive Site Index Video Index Reader Feedback Mobile Newsletters RSS Podcasts Widgets Your View Analyst Research Thomson Reuters Copyright Disclaimer Privacy Professional Products Professional Products Support Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Careers Online Products Acquisitions Monthly Buyouts Venture Capital Journal International Financing Review Project Finance International PEhub.com PE Week FindLaw Super Lawyers Attorney Rating Service Reuters on Facebook Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Friday, 6 May 2011
Bin Laden raid a blow to Afghan Taliban: U.S. general |
Pakistan pays U.S. lobbyists to deny it helped bin Laden |
German confesses to being al Qaeda member |
Sudan divides Darfur in five smaller states |
Israeli PM urges clarity from Hamas |
Cuba gives Chilean 20-year sentence in graft case |
Ivory Coast top court declares Ouattara president |
Anonymous to Sony: It wasn't us |
Sony's insurers to help foot bill for data breach |
First PlayStation phone not hit by data breach |
RIM embraces BlackBerry rivals to remain relevant |
Amazon's Kindle to be sold at 3,100 Walmart stores |
FCC chief: antitrust law can't adequately defend Internet |
Huawei, ZTE to shake up video conferencing: Ovum |
Country music stars to stage tornado fundraiser |
CIA watched bin Laden from nearby safe house inside Pakistan |
Bin Laden, two others didn't fire on SEALs: sources |
Japan PM rival widens ruling party rift over crisis |
Pakistani Shi'ites killed in suspected militant attack |
Brazil's supreme court recognizes gay partnerships |
Anti-Gaddafi allies offer rebels cash lifeline |
Britons punish Lib Dems for coalition role |
Photos show three dead men at bin Laden raid house |
Analysis: Skype, better with Facebook than Google? |
Analysis: Watch out ARM, here comes Intel |
Sony CEO apologizes for Internet breaches |
Jacob Lusk booted from Idol as four remain |
Rocker Bryan Adams is father of baby daughter |
Thor set for thunderous debut at box office |
Charges dropped against Nicolas Cage in New Orleans |
EU agrees sanctions against Syrian officials |
Tunisian police break up anti-government protest |
Britons punish Lib Dems for coalition role |
Crowds mass as Saleh blocks Yemen deal again |
Syrian forces shoot dead six protesters: campaigner |
U.S. drones kill 17 in NW Pakistan; protests over bin Laden |
Clinton says action needed to blunt food price rises |
Global 3D TV market to grow 5-fold in 2011: iSuppli |
Glamour, art, politics collide at classic Cannes |
Arnold Schwarzenegger picks drama for comeback |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01