Microsoft owns Skype, officially

The transaction was originally announced on May 10 and the boards of directors of both Microsoft and Skype have since approved the acquisition. The acquisition remains under review in a few countries.

Tony Bates, CEO of Skype, will assume the title of president of the Skype Division of Microsoft immediately, reporting directly to Steve Ballmer, CEO at Microsoft.

Microsoft and Skype will remain focused on their shared goal of connecting all people across all devices, and accelerating both companies’ efforts to transform real-time communications for consumers and enterprise customers.

Ballmer noted that Skype was a phenomenal brand that was "loved by hundreds of millions of people" around the world. “We look forward to working with the Skype team to create new ways for people to stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues – anytime, anywhere.”

The Skype division will continue to offer its current products to millions of users globally.  Going forward, Skype will also be integrated across an array of Microsoft products to broaden Skype’s reach and accelerate its growth as a fundamental way people communicate online.

Bates said, “By bringing together the best of Microsoft and the best of Skype, we are committed to empowering consumers and businesses around the globe to connect in new ways. Together, we will be able to accelerate Skype's aspiration to reach one billion users daily.”