Skype to Microsoft for 8.5 billion USD?

Wall Street Journal and Reuters reports indicate that Microsoft is planning to buy Skype for a sum of 8.5 billion US Dollar. Maybe the deal will even be officially anounced today.

See article here.

Skype would bring Microsoft about 500 million customers for Microsofts online business. Right now microsofts messaging solution lync (link) could profit substantially from this and the possibilities to integrate Skype with live services like skydrive, hotmail, hosted sharepoint and exchange are endless.

This could give a real boost to Windows Phone 7 if done right.