After getting the green light from the FTC and the European Commission, Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype is official.  The acquisition was announced back in May of this year, in which the board of directors of both companies approved the deal.

The acquisition officially introduces Skype as the newest business division within Microsoft.  Skype CEO Tony Bates is awarded the title of president of the Skype Division of Microsoft immediately and will report directly to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.  For now, Skype will operate as usual, connecting millions of people all over the globe, but in the long run, Skype will be integrated into Microsoft’s products and services which will in turn, expand their reach further.

The CEOs of both companies are very positive with the partnership and how it will be beneficial for both of them.

“Skype is a phenomenal product and brand that is loved by hundreds of millions of people around the world,” said Ballmer. “We look forward to working with the Skype team to create new ways for people to stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues — anytime, anywhere.”

“By bringing together the best of Microsoft and the best of Skype, we are committed to empowering consumers and businesses around the globe to connect in new ways,” Bates said. “Together, we will be able to accelerate Skype’s goal to reach 1 billion users daily,” Bates said.

The high profile deal has helped spur a revival amongst VoIP services, especially as they seek more points of integration across social sites and mobile devices.  As for other VoIPs, O2 will try their luck with O2 Connect. Additionally,  T-Mobile recently updated its Bobsled service enabling customers to make free calls to any phone number in the USA, or Canada, from anywhere in the world, as well as connecting up Facebook users on the move.  Google Voice also got upgraded not too long ago, and some Sprint users are seeing MMS pictures and videos in their email accounts.