Microsoft gains DoJ anti-trust approval on Skype buy
VoIP outfit 'fires' top execs
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Thr US Department of Justice approved Microsoft's $8.5bn acquisition of Luxembourg-based Skype Technologies SA on Friday.
The software giant said last month that it was buying Skype in a deal that went into the Redmond history books as the biggest takeover ever bagged by Microsoft.
That's despite the fact that many questioned the hefty price tag applied to the loss-making company, which has around 170 million users, all of whom will have their accounts hooked up to Microsoft's Lync, Outlook and Xbox Live products, as well as other communities.
Meanwhile, an exec exodus has reportedly been underway at Skype, following Microsoft's acquisition of the outfit last month.
According to Bloomberg, which cited three people familiar with the matter, a number of senior wonks at Skype have been fired.
The news wire said that four veeps - David Gurle, Christopher Dean, Russ Shaw and Don Albert - were told to leave ahead of the deal closing.
In addition, the company's chief marketing officer Doug Bewsher and human resources head Anne Gillespie were said to have been let go, as were two execs from Skype's recent purchase of Qik.
Bloomberg reported that the cull took place to reduce the value of individual executive payouts.
Microsoft declined to comment on the rejig at Skype. ®
COMMENTS
An unfortunate turn of events. . .
A very unfortunate turn of events for Microsoft: the FTC could have stopped them from completely wasting $8.5bn.
I wonder if they are celebrating ...
... or commiserating.
If it had been rejected it would have given them a good reason not to buy the overpriced piece of crud ...
Best Buy....?
Looks like Ballmer will buy ANYTHING these days.
Bill G would be turning in his grave (if he were dead).
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