There's hype and there's skype. the difference is about $4.1 billion, which is what Ebay paid for the voice over Internet company last month. Skype is, like Ebay itself, cheap and easy to use. Go to Skype.com and click on a green balloon that says "Download Skype." Decision time: Would you like Skype software on your Windows, Mac or Linux computer, or Pocket PC? Click on your choice. Congratulations! You're ready to make cheap phone calls to any Skype-enabled gizmo in the world. Ebay wants Skype so buyers and sellers in the wide world of Ebay can jump on the phone and haggle for free. The more transactions occurring on Ebay, the more money Ebay makes. Ebay's been a huge success, of course, but its growth has slowed, and its stock has been flat. Ebay's $4.1 billion gamble on Skype is a bet on growth. Organic growth—Skype adds only $60 million in sales on its own.
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