Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

Yahoo! Finance & News

Microsoft Acquires Skype In $8.5 Billion Deal

"When I look at the price tag, I go 'What?'" said Harry Wang, director of mobile research at Parks Associates, a tech research and consulting group. "$8.5 billion for revenue less than $1 billion a year? The long term, incremental value makes sense but it's not exactly a match with the price tag."

"The user base will definitely boost Microsoft's online presence," said Wang. "That's one of the key battlegrounds for them to gain in the future and they have to be there."

"It looks like Microsoft got into a bidding war, that Google and Facebook tried to acquire Skype," said Wang. "To use the Mastercard tagline, keeping competitors away from your key asset is priceless."
 

Previously In The News

Consumers turning to apps to make shopping decisions

One in four US consumers now rely on their smartphones for advice and guidance when shopping in physical stores. According to Parks Associates, over 25 percent of shoppers use their devices to...

5 questions to ask yourself before you buy a smart watch

Smart watches have been in the tech news a lot lately—particularly since Apple introduced its much-anticipated Apple Watch last week. Still, while some analysts suggest smart watch sales will grow...

Facebook-style games to be worth $5bn a year by 2015

"250 million people play games like Zynga's CityVille and Farmville on Facebook every month," says Pietro Macchiarella, analyst at Parks Associates, valuing 2010's social gaming revenue at $1 billi...

Most US tablet shoppers considering an iPad

Just in case there was any doubt remaining about the growing popularity of tablets, Parks Associates published Friday the results of its latest survey into the buying habits of the US public this h...