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STEVE BALLMER was his usual effervescent self on stage at a press conference in SanFrancisco this week. Announcing an $8.5 billion purchase of Skype, an internet calling andvideo service, the boss of Microsoft kept boasting about how super-ambitious his companyis. The firms largest-ever acquisition is proof that Microsoft is indeed willing to place big betson what it considers to be revolutionary technologies. It also represents a significant victoryfor some bold technology investors. 本周在旧金山举办的一场资讯发布会现场，微软CEO史蒂夫??鲍尔默一如既往的兴高采烈。他宣布微软将以85亿美元的价格收购网络电话及视频服务公司Skype，并不断吹嘘他的公司是多么得志向远大。这起该公司史上最大的收购案证明微软确实意图在它认为的革新性科技上投下大笔赌注，也代表着一些具有冒险精神的科技投资者的重大胜利。 Much ink has been spilled on the subject of Skypes price tag, 400 times the companys 2010operating profit. Microsoft claims that this lofty sum is justified because Skype can leverage itsnew parents various platforms, including the Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system andthe Xbox gaming platform, to create exciting new services for the 170m customers that use itregularly. It can also take advantage of Microsofts substantial presence in the world ofcorporate computing to win more business there. Microsoft says it will fit neatly with itspopular Lync offering, which combines various communications tools such as video chattingand web conferencing in a single package. | 
