If Google was hoping to control all the hallway chatter at this year's Google IO, well, it looks like they've lost that bid. Perhaps, in fact, they've lost two, as the WSJ is reporting that Microsoft is about to close a deal to acquire Skype for a cool seven billion dollars. The deal apparently isn't quite finalized yet, but if it goes through it's going to leave more questions than answers for the Voice Over IP software.
Six months after Skype freed itself from the confines of Verizon exclusivity for mobile phones in the US, it's become a fairly popular platform for Android. Will Microsoft allow it to continue on Android or any of the myriad other platforms Skype supports? We're hoping and assuming yes - but the news itself is crazy enough that more craziness could well ensue. Stay tuned for what's sure to be a wild ride.
Update: Looks like it is a done deal, as reported by All Things D. Press release suggested for tomorrow morning.
