Golvin says it is conceivable that Microsoft might avoid new partnerships with companies whose products compete directly against Microsoft.
But Elliot says he thinks Microsoft is likely to expand the number of platforms Skype works on. “They would like to have as many companies interact with Skype as possible,” Elliot says.
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A problem might arise, though, if Microsoft competitors decide to back out of current integrations with Skype because of their rivalries with Microsoft, he says.
Companies like Cisco and Avaya make SIP trunks that are compatible with Skype, but “if the Skype-compatible trunks become something that is competitively advantageous for Microsoft, they might be a little less enthusiastic,” Elliot says.
Still, Elliot says Cisco and Avaya are more likely than not to preserve Skype integration.
Microsoft, of course, will do its best to integrate Skype functionality into products like Office and Lync, its unified communications platform, which competes against Cisco and Avaya.
Although Skype has primarily been a consumer brand, Elliot says he expects “that Skype will offer a premium, business-oriented service that includes the rich presence, various federation and security services, the kinds of things that enterprises want.”
Keeping Skype open to competitors would not harm Lync — it would make it easier for Lync customers to communicate with non-Lync users, Elliot says.
Skype is expected to become a Microsoft division, led by Skype CEO Tony Bates, as opposed to being swallowed up into another product division.
In a short analysis published May 12, Gartner analysts wrote that “Skype’s independent position, which Gartner expects it to maintain for at least three to four years, will allow it to continue relationships with Microsoft competitors Avaya and Cisco, as well as other mobile platform vendors.” (See also: “Microsoft’s top 12 rivals”)