Skype Ready to Dominate

Skype will prove to be a wise acquisition for eBay. The VOIP service is in the process of being expanded to the third most important Internet-based communication tool behind email and web browsing.

Instant messaging has that title now, but an integrated Skype featuring Yahoo's Instant Messenger, PayPal payments, video conferencing and voice mail will become even more indispensable and ubiquitous.

The new "Skype Me" service announced this week by eBay gives bargain hunters an effective means of staying abreast of auctions, and similar services will put the "real time' into real estate services.

In the future look for eBay to add Yahoo Mail to the Skype services, although Skype should allow users to transparently connect any email address to their Skype account, enabling you to communicate or leave messages in every convenient format.

Unless Google also gets into the VOIP/IM game, the new Gbuy payment system won't be competitive with Paypay.

Found via BetaNews.