Microsoft is on the verge of announcing a deal to buy Skype for between $7bn and $8bn (£4.3bn and £4.9bn).
According to the Wall Street Journal the deal could be announced later today.
However, the newspaper added that negotiations are ongoing, and no contracts have yet been signed.
Microsoft's instant messaging and voice communications product Lync could eventually be phased out or rebranded as a result of the deal, it said.
Skype was purchased by eBay in 2005 in a deal that valued the company then at $2.6bn (£1.6bn). However, the auction site sold the majority of its stake in 2009.
Some commentators have stated that Microsoft could see Skype as a way to gain traction in the mobile phone market, with its Windows Phone 7 offering still struggling for market share.
Have your say on this article
Newsletters
Latest stories from Internet
Latest videos
You may also like
Internet jobs
Technology Patent Wars
Case studies from large organisations across all sectors
... And rich media, and flexible working, and peaks in traffic ...
Upcoming Events
Join us for this Computing web seminar, in which the Head of BI at the Co-operative Group Nick Colebourn will be explaining just how he reigned in the Group’s sprawling database estate and how significant savings were realised and data quality improved as a result.
Date: 31 May 2012
Time: 11:00 AM
Live June 13th 11:00am: Register now. During this web seminar we will be looking at the sorts of incidents that can bring data centres grinding to a halt and what can be done about them.
Date: 13 Jun 2012
Time: 11:00 am
Receive the latest jobs direct to your inbox
Are you being paid what you are worth?
