September 9, 2010
Swedish founder keen on Skype buyback
Published: 12 Apr 09 11:05 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/18810/20090412/
The Swedish and Danish founders of Skype, Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis are interested in buying back the IP communication company.
- Most Swedes hit by internet crime: survey (8 Sep 10)
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The pair are now interested in buying back the firm, and according to a report in the New York Times, Ebay is willing to do a deal.
According to the newspaper, Ebay has set a price tag of at least $1.7 billion for Skype.
The number of users on Skype has exploded since Ebay's purchase in 2005, from 53 million to 405 million. But despite the increase revenues were a meagre $145 million in the final quarter of 2008.
The firm has struggled to get users to pay for add- on services and most use only the free PC to PC calls and chat function.
Ebay CEO John Donahoe has given several indications that he is prepared to do business over Skype. The newspaper could not however confirm whether Ebay had conducted any direct negotiations with the Scandinavian partners.
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interesting change though. I use skype quite often myself
There are many ways to achieve a successful investment which is thinking different. There is a way to failure which is thinking in an old fashion way.
This can be done without billing customers.There are ways to monetize this without charging the customers.
l do not want to go into details about this. But it can be done.
hardly a business secret
http://www.gnomemeeting.org/
The most famous Sweden-related internet flop of all, Boo.com, blew $135m. If this buyback goes through, Skype will have lost Ebay over $900m.
Fair play to Zennström though.