Microsoft 'in Talks To Purchase Skype'

Microsoft is in talks to purchase internet phone service Skype, the Wall Street Journal has reported.

According to the paper, the treat could be value as sufficient as $8.5bn (5.2bn), that would make it Microsoft's largest acquisition.

Both Microsoft and Skype have declined to criticism on the story.

Luxembourg-based Skype has 663 million universal users. In Aug final year it voiced skeleton for a share flotation, but this was subsequently put on hold.

Internet auction residence eBay paid for Skype for $2.6bn in 2006, before selling 70% of it in 2009 for $2bn.

Skype is right away majority-owned by a organisation of investors, led by in isolation equity firms Silver Lake and Andreessen Horowitz.