Bill Gates Encouraged Skype Takeover Deal

Microsoft founder and chairman Bill Gates told BBC's Hardball that he had a hand in the company's crazy $8.5 billion acquisition of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service Skype by urging other board members to support the move. His revelation was made while an interview with Hardball's Stephen Sackur that's scheduled to air on BBC on May 18.

The announcement of the Skype acquisition arrived last week afterwards speculation that Facebook and Google was mulling over a Skype purchase. Nevertheless Microsoft revealed itself as the mystery pursuer, and announced plans to integrate Skype into Xbox Live and Windows Phone while on the whole supporting other platforms -- even Mac. The deal to all appearances had Bill Gates' personal seal of approval from conception to completion.

He added that the move was purely strategic. It wasn't about Skype's current profit, however how the service would benefit Microsoft's other products and services. Though he didn't specify, the acquisition is as well a move to better position the company in competing with Apple's iPhone and its FaceTime service.

"The idea of video conferencing is going to get so much better than it is today," Gates said. "Skype as a matter of fact does get a fair bit of revenue. It'll be fascinating to see how the brilliant ideas out of Microsoft technology, coming at the same time with Skype, what they can make of that."

"We will continue to support other platforms," he said. "We are one of the few companies that has the track record of doing this beforehand. We have done a lot of work bringing Office to the Mac and we've done a lot of great work with other Apple devices. Fundamental to the value proposition of communications is to reach people whether they're on your device or not."

He should however have some say in it's direction sometimes I think. I think if Jobs took Gates route in retiring and turning to philanthropy Apple would be better off. Jobs refusal to put Flash on the iPhone and iPad are huge business blunders.