Washington: Microsoft has won US antitrust approval to buy the Internet phone service Skype, the Federal Trade Commission said in a website posting on Friday.
Microsoft announced in May it was buying Skype for $8.5 billion, its biggest-ever acquisition, placing a rich bet on mobile and the Internet to try and best rivals such as Google Inc.
The approval was announced in a listing of deal approvals that comes out several times a week.
Microsoft's interest in the money-losing, but popular service highlights a need to gain new customers for its Windows and Office software. Skype has 145 million users on average each month and has gained favor among small businesses.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, June 18, 2011, 11:26