Facebook and Google are slugging it out to see who will own Skype. Skype has completely revolutionized communication in the last few years and over a quarter are its users pay a monthly subscription. Facebook looks likely to be a more aggressive bet than Google. Talks are still very recent, but a deal could include an outright takeover. Experts are betting on Facebook being the buyer since Skype completes Facebook by providing technology it does not have. It’s a much more valuable asset for Facebook than to Google. Besides, Google already has great voice chat and video capabilities, but buying Skype could get some social-media credibility after it lost out in an attempt to launch Buzz. Communication is core to what Facebook users do. eBay bought Skype for $3 billion about four years ago then sold it again to a private group. I’m not sure wy they even bought it in the first place, but I think they expected ebay buyers/sellers use it more actively.
