Microsoft & Skype: a foretold business juncture

Though at the tune of $8,5 billion... Skype, one of my favorite software tools to be in touch with the world, is now part of Microsoft as a new business division as they entered today into a definitive agreement. "The combined companies aim to deliver the future of real-time communications to consumers and businesses around the world" and that means more healthy competition to Apple and Google, among others. So now this is how Microsoft's opening into multiplatform operability starts to solidify,  and "will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms." In this respect, Microsoft has made already inroads into iPhone, iPad and Android markets with tools such as OneNote, Azure for smartphones, and other open source projects.