Analysis: Skype, a better match with Facebook than Google?

NEW YORK - as Internet two central electric slug it out to attach the node with Skype, Facebook looks likely to be a more aggressive than Google, and great social network most can do for a better fit.

Reuters said Wednesday that Facebook and Google are weighing separately from partnerships with Skype, the popular web video phone service used by millions worldwide for communication.

Interviews with Facebook and Google are still preliminary, but any agreement may involve a purely and simply to go or a joint-venture partnership, two sources told Reuters.

An agreement on Skype, which is readying an IPO could be valued at 3 billion to $ 4 billion, the first source said. Public offering of Skype should increase by approximately $ 1 billion, several other sources said.

Analysts and observers of the technology are betting on Facebook, with the belief the two make better companions and that Skype end Facebook in providing goods, which he did not.

"It is not surprising to me that these two companies are interested," said Eric Jackson, founder and Director of investment firm Ironfire Capital. "It is far more valuable to Facebook to Google."

Google already has chat, voice and video, although Skype is a product more robust, said Rory Maher, of Hudson Square research analyst.

It could integrate Google voice of Skype and even get some social media credibility after it failed in an attempt to do so with Buzz.

"There are benefits that Google has the combination of Skype, but I think it is less clean than for Facebook," said Maher.

Conversely, Facebook a lot more incentive snap up Skype because it would encourage people to spend more time on the site they are already - almost reason for the social network of the.

"Communication core to what are Facebook users, said Mo Koyfman, a Director at Spark Capital venture capital corporation." "" Possess that this platform would be very interesting. ?

Google, Facebook and Skype declined to comment on.

THE ART OF SKYPE

Skype is still on track for an IPO later in 2011, raising up to 1 billion by some estimates. She became the belle of the ball, attracting the interest of the two most dominant powers of the Internet, bodes well for his debut.

Last year, Skype boasted approximately 124 million connected users each month at the end of June. But few of $ 8.1 million have been paying clients, using Skype to make calls to traditional phones at reduced rates.

The company was founded in 2003 and acquired by eBay two years later for $ 3.1 billion. EBay then sold a majority stake in Skype to a group of investors in 2009 while keeping about one-third of the company.

Now, Skype and Facebook could tap into the world of new users while Facebook can benefit from a new source of revenue, said Koyfman.

Facebook had net income of $ 355 million in the first nine months of 2010 revenue of $ 1.2 billion. It is one of a handful of companies Internet including Twitter, Groupon and Zynga who have fueled the interest of investors wishing to take advantage of social media.

And he has also developed the big guns to the Internet - including Google - in a State of alert.

Indeed, some believe that Google may be bid for Skype just to keep the hands of other companies.

"Any agreement which takes a great asset of Facebook is a victory for Google," suggests Jackson Ironfire capital.