Comments on: Should eBay Spin Off Skype? The Debate Continues http://gigaom.com/2009/01/27/should-ebay-spin-off-skype-the-debate-continues/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:19:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Why eBay Should Consider Breaking Itself Up http://gigaom.com/2009/01/27/should-ebay-spin-off-skype-the-debate-continues/#comment-159131 Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:02:50 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=36925#comment-159131 [...] need to be sold off or spun out. Om has discussed the merits of spinning off Skype. Stubhub.com would be more at home at Ticketmaster, and a company like Microsoft could make good [...]

]]> By: Will eBay Sell Skype? Should Google Buy It? | AccuraCast Search Daily News http://gigaom.com/2009/01/27/should-ebay-spin-off-skype-the-debate-continues/#comment-159130 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 18:37:42 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=36925#comment-159130 [...] to industry sources companies such as Google, Yahoo!, AT&T and Verizon could all be potential buyers as they can easily integrate the VoIP service [...]

]]> By: Alex Kazim http://gigaom.com/2009/01/27/should-ebay-spin-off-skype-the-debate-continues/#comment-159129 Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:53:54 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=36925#comment-159129 On your question about profitability, John responded to a question from Scott Devitt with this about Skype: “it’s a $600 million run rate with 20% margin”.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/115794-ebay-inc-q4-2008-earnings-call-transcript?source=bnet&page=6

While I agree Skype and its parent have all sorts of challenges, it’s important to look at those numbers relative to other Internet companies that were started in the last 5 years. Anyone know what the Q4 revenue and profitability numbers are for Facebook, MySpace or YouTube? No? Imagine that…

]]> By: John http://gigaom.com/2009/01/27/should-ebay-spin-off-skype-the-debate-continues/#comment-159128 Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:30:46 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=36925#comment-159128 Not sure if they should or not. It does seem to be a bright spot on the spreadsheet. However if they keep it, they might figure out a way to USE the damn thing. Why have a great communication tool like Skype and keep buyers and sellers using the crappy little yellow button for communication in the stone age?!? That is so silly!

John (colderICE)

]]> By: Clint Boulton http://gigaom.com/2009/01/27/should-ebay-spin-off-skype-the-debate-continues/#comment-159127 Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:03:41 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=36925#comment-159127 Om:

Yahoo would make a nice landing place for Skype. Strike BT from the equation. They’ve got enterprise-grade VOIP with Ribbit.

]]> By: Should eBay Spin Off Skype? The Debate Continues | Telecom Update http://gigaom.com/2009/01/27/should-ebay-spin-off-skype-the-debate-continues/#comment-159126 Thu, 29 Jan 2009 03:16:21 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=36925#comment-159126 [...] In my opinion, which I shared with Sarah Lacy and her viewers yesterday, Yahoo is a much better buyer for Skype as it has experience working with consumers and offering paid services. As for other likely buyers, I would put large telecom operators such as British Telecom and France Telecom high on the list. A reader points out that Hutchinson’s 3  could be a good buyer as well.  [...]

]]> By: Randy http://gigaom.com/2009/01/27/should-ebay-spin-off-skype-the-debate-continues/#comment-159125 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:40:58 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=36925#comment-159125 Just an observation:

Lots of folks seem to agree that ebay is struggling.

Yes, Ebay is struggling. This is a fact. But why? In a thrift-conscious economy like ours, there exists a renewed hunger for cheap, sharply discounted merhandise. Isn’t that is ebay’s domain? Ebay’s predicament appears to be quite an enigma, no?

Well, not really. I know why ebay is tanking. It’s because of their pitiful and deplorable customer service. I have never been as offended and mistreated by the representatives of a corporation as I have been by those of EBAY, specifically during the period between April of and October of 2008.

- Ebay Customer Service representatives actually LIED to me! Repeatedly!

- Ebay Customer Service representatives PURPOSEFULLY and MALICIOUSLY misinterpret r fail to respond appropriately to customers who request via their ‘contact us’page on their website (the ONLY way to reach ebay customer service other than “live chat”)

- Ebay Customer Service representatives FAIL to follow their own policies, posted on their website!

- Ebay Customer Service representatives in general are belligerent and appear to be unsupervised

Honestly, I don’t know who’s bright idea it was at ebay to implement and subsequently maintain (for 10 miserable years!) their company’s customer service apparatus in this way — an infamously and hopelessly dysfunctional ‘web-only’system staffed by unskilled, belligerent creeps fresh out of careers in food service. As far as I can tell, this failed executive is just as responsible for the decline their company as the other infamously ingenious ebay exec who declared that “Supersellers” and “Megasellers” were more worthy of respsect than the 99.9% of other folks — the buyers.

]]> By: jasongoecke http://gigaom.com/2009/01/27/should-ebay-spin-off-skype-the-debate-continues/#comment-159124 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 20:08:20 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=36925#comment-159124 Of course Ebay should sell Skype as they never should have bought them. Skype and Ebay had no real synergies from the beginning. First, Ebay really did not want auctioneers and customers talking as they may well complete transactions offline without Ebay taking their cut. Second, many auctioneers did not want to receive calls from customers as that is why they are selling on Ebay in the first place.

Do the Ebay shareholders a favor, sell it.

]]> By: steve http://gigaom.com/2009/01/27/should-ebay-spin-off-skype-the-debate-continues/#comment-159123 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:45:01 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=36925#comment-159123 Uh, yeah, it’s called “focusing on your business”.

]]> By: Michael McGimpsey http://gigaom.com/2009/01/27/should-ebay-spin-off-skype-the-debate-continues/#comment-159122 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 07:47:02 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=36925#comment-159122 So let me get this straight. Skype is making money, ebay is struggling so they may sell Skype. Yeah that makes perfect sense, not!

]]> By: jd http://gigaom.com/2009/01/27/should-ebay-spin-off-skype-the-debate-continues/#comment-159121 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 07:06:31 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=36925#comment-159121 “Google buying Skype would be a disaster.”

No it wouldn’t. It would be like YouTube only vastly more revenue.

]]> By: Ross http://gigaom.com/2009/01/27/should-ebay-spin-off-skype-the-debate-continues/#comment-159120 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 04:33:42 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=36925#comment-159120 OM,

What about DT (Deutsche Telekom)? They have the T-Mobile brand in the United States but can’t compete with the likes of ATT/Verizon for the home phone. Skype or Vonage would give them a way into the US land line business.

]]> By: morgan180 http://gigaom.com/2009/01/27/should-ebay-spin-off-skype-the-debate-continues/#comment-159119 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 04:31:51 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=36925#comment-159119 Google buying Skype would be a disaster. They’re currently re-focusing on core businesses and Skype would be a distraction for the company. They have a terrible track record of integrating outside firms. I can’t see them making a play for Skype right now. I would have to think one of the telco’s would be a more interesting suitor, but as you say Om the corporate debt and financing markets don’t leave a lot of wiggle room for many of the debt-burden behemoths.

I think Yahoo! is an interesting choice for the points you make – primarily the B2C subscription expertise. I can’t see why ebay would want to hold on to Skype for any other reason than it’s a bad time to sell. If Skype truly is profitable is there a compelling reason to divest now in such a bad environment?

]]> By: Kevin K http://gigaom.com/2009/01/27/should-ebay-spin-off-skype-the-debate-continues/#comment-159118 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 01:59:52 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=36925#comment-159118 (linkback) Yes or No? Should eBay Spin Off Skype? The Debate Continues [VOTE] – http://www.thriveorfail.com/dcef1

]]> By: Om Malik http://gigaom.com/2009/01/27/should-ebay-spin-off-skype-the-debate-continues/#comment-159117 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 01:55:41 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=36925#comment-159117 @jd

What you think is pessimistic, I consider realistic. If you start looking around, things are so tough right now economically that they would be lucky to get 1.5 to 2 times sales. Consider the tightness of money markets as a deciding factor in the final price for Skype. AT&T has its own set of issues.

Google, as I say in the video is a likely buyer but it will be a disaster. I am not so impressed by Google’s track record of buying and assimilating companies. Again, being realistic. Of course sometimes that comes across as pessimistic.

]]> By: Om Malik http://gigaom.com/2009/01/27/should-ebay-spin-off-skype-the-debate-continues/#comment-159116 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 01:50:11 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=36925#comment-159116 Ronan

That would make a lot of sense and yes you are right for considering Hutchinson as a good option, especially since their corporate master also owns the Skype joint venture in China.

]]>