Microsoft Acquires Skype for $8.5 Billion
News on Social Marketing, according to Microsoft New Center, millions of people have been impacted by internet on their video calling. Led by investor group Silver Lake, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq “MSFT”) has acquired Skype Global S.à r.l for $8.5 billion which was approved by the boards of directors of both Microsoft and Skype. This marks the official introduction of Skype as a new business division within Microsoft.
Focusing 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 CEO Steve Ballmer said, “We 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.”
Skype CEO Tony Bates, who will assume the title of president of the Skype Division of Microsoft, said that “By bringing together the best of Microsoft and the best of Skype, we are committed to empowering consumers and businesses around the globe to connect in new ways. Together, we will be able to accelerate Skype’s goal to reach 1 billion users daily.”
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions helping people and businesses realize their full potential while Skype was founded in 2003 and was acquired by eBay in September 2005, and then acquired by an investment group led by Silver Lake in November 2009.
Read more at Microsoft Officially Welcomes Skype
New York Times Co. leads legal battle over phone technology
News on Social Marketing, according to GlobeAdvisor .com, The New York Times Co. is leading a legal battle over phone technology that many larger organizations assumed was free – sending text messages with web links to mobile phones.
In September 1997, inventor Richard Helferich filed an outline on how a system would work with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Granted numerous patents on the method, he was given the right to take legal action against companies using it without permits.
Since 2008, claiming they are infringing on his intellectual property, 23 suits has been filed by his company, Helferich Patent Licensing.
Many companies preferred to settle with HPL by paying a one-time fee of $750,000 rather than spending millions by going to court.
Kenneth Richieri, New York Times general counsel said that Helferich’s patents are becoming a burden on activities that are commonplace in the digital age. “In some ways, it’s a tax for being on the Internet. Millions and millions of dollars collectively is going out of the pockets of people who earned it to people who, in my opinion, didn’t do anything,” he said.
More than $750,000 will be paid by the Times should they lose the legal battle for using the technology to alert readers by mobile phone. According to PatentFreedom, 5,073 companies in the U.S. have been sued for infringing on patents.
Read more at Mobile patent fees a ‘tax for being on the Internet’
RealNetworks founder uses Facebook to share Company News
News on Social Marketing, according to The New York Times, Interim chief executive of RealNetworks, Rob Glaser told employees of the online media pioneer that it would lay off about 160 people or 14% over the next seven months, starting with 80 personnel immediately. Glaser cut and pasted his e-mail onto his Facebook page instead of keeping it a secret to his staff.
Mr. Glaser wrote that “When I came back into Real after having been away from day-to-day operations for 2½ years, I thought there was a pretty high likelihood that there would be a day like today. He said he had known it would feel bad for everyone, “and indeed it does.”
Offering software for streaming audio and video over the Internet in the 1990s, RealNetworks has struggled in recent years in businesses like games, cellphone ringback tones and software. In July, RealNetworks employees were informed by Mr. Glaser through another e-mail that he was rejoining the company as its interim chief executive to help it develop a new strategy.
However, he said that the Facebook posts were limited to major companywide e-mail messages.
Reed Hastings, Netflix’s chief executive, also turns to Facebook to share news. He posted a message on his page congratulating Ted Sarandos, the Netflix executive who cuts licensing deals with Hollywood studios, for reaching a big milestone in viewership for its movie streaming service.
Read more at When Chief Executives Share Company News on Facebook
Other Social Marketing Articles of Interest
The Key Planets of the Social Media Universe – Infographic
The Facts and Figures about the Power of Visual Content – Infographic