Microsoft's acquisition of Skype --- a strategic decision??Microsoft- Company history and current situation:Microsoft Corporation is one of the largest software companies in the world headquartered in Washington, USA, with annual revenues exceeding $50 billion. The Company's principal business is the development, manufacturing and licensing of software products, including operating systems, software development tools, commercial and consumer applications, server applications and Internet software technologies and services. Microsoft was founded in the late 1970s by Bill Gates and Paul Allen who sold BASIC, the first computer language program, to MITS Computers, their first customer. In 1981, Microsoft, Inc. was incorporated and sold its software to IBM, the dominant mainframe company. From 1983, Microsoft was led by Bill Gates; Chairman of Microsoft and one of the richest people in the world and the most famous businessman. Microsoft has managed to place at least one of its products on virtually every PC in the world, setting industry standards and thus defining markets. Microsoft worked closely with Apple during the development of Apple's Macintosh computer, introduced in 1984. Revolutionary in its design, Mac featured a graphical user interface based on icons instead of the typed commands used by the IBM PC. This made his programs simple, easy to learn and use, even by computer novices. Microsoft introduced the Mac version of Word, BASIC, and the Multiplan spreadsheet, which quickly made Microsoft the leading provider of applications for the Mac. Revenues increased from $50 million in 1983 to almost $100 million in 1984 (James 2004). Bill Gates and his colleagues left a company...... middle of paper ......ers, T. (2011). May 10, 2011: The day Skype died. Available: http://toddcarothers.com/2011/05/may-10th-2011-the-day-skype-died/. Last accessed June 22, 2011. 15 Jagger, S. (2007). EBay admits to miscalculating the amount it paid to take over Skype. Available: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article2570267.ece. Last accessed June 23, 2011.16. Global Futures Report. (2000). Scenario-Based Decision Making – Technique. Available: http://www.globalfuture.com/scenario1.htm. Last accessed June 22, 2011.17. Zahorsky, D. (2011). Scenario planning for tomorrow. Available: http://sbinformation.about.com/cs/newseconomy/a/scenario_2.htm. Last accessed June 21, 2011.18. MRI. (2002). A risk management standard. Available: http://www.theirm.org/publications/documents/Risk_Management_Standard_030820.pdf. Last consulted on June 23 2011.