eBay Inc. has agreed to acquire Luxembourg-based Skype Technologies SA, the global Internet communications company, for approximately $2.6 billion in up-front cash and eBay stock, plus potential performance-based consideration. This acquisition will allow eBay to create significant new monetization opportunities and will be integrated into their auction platform to improve communications between buyers and sellers. Integration with the PayPal service will also make it easier for users to pay for Skype’s fee-based services.
