Skype’s version 5 update practically destroyed the software in the eyes of many loyal customers, but not enough to sway Microsoft from paying $8.5 Billion for the company. Skype, a simple product yet essential to the world we live in today has 170 million users. Microsoft roughly paid $50 per user for Skype and have grown their instant messaging network of 150 million MSN users now to over 320 million users. One company comes to mind in this acquisition, Intertainment media and their Ortsbo instant translation software. As we communicate with people further away, we reach language barriers, Ortsbo already supporting MSN, has yet to jump in with Skype. Could the acquisition by Microsoft give them that missing link?

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