Microsoft's Skype acquisition could change the world
The Microsoft-Skype merger is potentially the beginning of the biggest change in technology since the PC. Of course, this is hardly the industry's first attempt to redefine the lucrative space.
Back in the 1980s - when I first formally came into the technology industry - there was a massive push to force telecommunications and technology together. This is kind of like mixing oil and water, really, so it didn’t go too well, which contributed to both the failure of old AT&T and the near failure of IBM.
Unsurprisingly, the failed attempt scared both industries half to death and kept them pretty much at arm’s length until now. However, with the purchase of Skype, Microsoft steps solidly into the telecommunications space, a move which could forever change both markets. Although Redmond massively overpaid for the company, the benefit in terms of strategic market leadership, as well as the damage it does to Google’s initiatives, easily eclipses the initial price tag.
