eBay integrates PayPal with Skype
Topping the tech blogs this morning is the news that eBay appears to have integrated its PayPal payment service with Skype, the Internet telephony software it acquired last fall for $2.6 billion. There was no official announcement, but screen shots have surfaced this week at the eBay Developers Conference of an upcoming Skype release featuring PayPal menu items, suggesting that Skype users will be able to transfer money to or receive money from whomever they happen to be talking with or instant messaging. The integration would seem to demonstrate critical synergy between eBay's core business and its two biggest strategic acquisitions.
Fair enough, says makeyougohmm.com, but why has it taken nine months since the big purchase to complete the integration? "Makes me wonder if the delay was figuring out how to deal with policing the usage of the feature," the tech blog comments, noting that PayPal has cracked down on the adult entertainment and gambling operations attempting to use its service. Gizmodo points out that, while useful, this new feature ranks more as a minor convenience, not as a killer app in itself: "If they integrate this with the WiFi Skype phones, you could possibly be able to send money to people wherever you have a WiFi connection. Then again, if you have a cellphone, you could use Paypal Mobile and do that right now." 
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