FTC Approves Skype Acquisition By Microsoft: Now For The Hard Part

Microsoft has received approval from the Federal Trade Commission for its $8.5 billion purchase of Skype. The FTC clearance is the latest, and a significant, bit of approval that Microsoft needs to complete the purchase. Although Microsoft has in the past faced regulatory problems for some acquisitions -- a $1.5 billion purchase of Intuit was blocked in 1994 -- this deal has so far gone relatively smoothly.