By Greg Hazley
Waggener Edstrom Worldwide is providing PR support for its longtime client Microsoft as the tech giant makes a splash with today's announcement of its $8.5 billion acquisition of Internet phone service Skype.
The deal is Microsoft's largest acquisition in its history. CEO Steve Ballmer said the transaction will help create the "future of real-time communications" as it integrates with MS services like Windowns Phone, Xbox, Kinect and Hotmail.
Skype, based in Luxembourg, has 663M users, about eight million of which pay for long-distance calling services.
Skype CEO Tony Bates, who becomes president of the Microsoft Skype division, sees the acquisition accelerating Skype's plans for global growth and innovation.
Kaplow has handled Skype's PR since its arrival in North America. The company also works with Bite Communications (developers), Text 100 (Europe) and Newlink Communications (Hispanic PR).
FD worked the company's planned $100M IPO last year, which never materialized.
Skype is owned by Silver Lake, which acquired a controlling interest in the company from eBay in 2009 for $2B.
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