Skype seems to be realizing that video calling is going to be really big this year, despite being in the video-chat field for years. According to Electronista and Business Insider, Skype has been in contact with Qik, and they appear to have purchased the company outright.
According to MacNN, the sweet-spot seems to be around $100 million, and Business Insider has the value “confirmed” at $150 million; however, neither Skype nor Qik are returning calls at this point.
Big news for Qik, but a bit of a head scratcher for Skype.
In other Skype news, it’s being reported that Skype is planning on releasing video calling capabilities for up to 10 video calls at once. The 10-way video calling will not be free according to TUAW (they’re at the Skype presser at CES) and will cost about $8.99 per month. That price point will be great for small and medium businesses, but I don’t really see too many people footing that kind of bill for their own personal use, so most of us might be out of luck.
Congrats to the Qik team!
Article Via Electronista, Business Insider, and TUAW
