[Info-vax] OT: Microsoft got its hands on Skype for $ 8.5 billion

[John Wallace]

On May 10, 5:14 pm, MG <marcog... at SPAMxs4all.nl> wrote:
> While Skype never ran on any operating system for which I really cared
> (i.e. VMS, IRIX, OpenBSD ...), with the non-Windows (e.g. Linux) ports
> already lagging behind, now it has been bought by Microsoft for $ 8.5
> billion!
>
> For me there's even less reason to still use it and it's yet another
> program I'm going to permanently 'uninstall'...  I like VMS PHONE, MAIL
> and regular e-mail better anyway!
>
> In a Dutch article I just read that Microsoft has pledged that they're
> going to 'open up' Skype for 'intelligence agencies'.  I'm not an
> American citizen, but isn't it unconstitutional in the USA to spy on
> the citizens?  (I know it isn't in the Netherlands, but that's the
> Netherlands.)
>
>         --> <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13343600>
>         -->
> <http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2011/may11/05-10CorpNewsPR.mspx>
>         --> <http://www.boycottowl.com/Skype>
>
>   - MG

Many (most?) existing telecom infrastructure providers provide
mechanisms for "legitimate intercept" of calls both landline and
cellular. If a telco manufacturer doesn't offer it, they don't get to
sell much.

What happens after that stage is an administrative matter between the
citizen/suspect, law enforcement folks, the state, and so on. But the
intercept technology is widely available already, and the lack of it
in Skype has reportedly been causing the spooks some irritation.

I was wondering where the money was going to be coming from to pay for
this acquisition. MS's WinPhone customers (the cellcos not end users)
generally hate Skype because it wastes bandwidth and loses voice
revenue. But if there's a government back door deal in the picture...