Good Lord.

So the rumors were true!

UPDATE: Reading the press release on the skype website, I find it interesting to read this about combined opportunities:

The acquisition also enables eBay and Skype to pursue entirely new
lines of business. For example, in addition to eBay’s current
transaction-based fees, ecommerce communications could be monetized on
a pay-per-call basis through Skype. Pay-per-call communications opens
up new categories of ecommerce, especially for those sectors that
depend on a lead-generation model such as personal and business
services, travel, new cars, and real estate. eBay’s other shopping
websites — Shopping.com, Rent.com, Marktplaats.nl and Kijiji – can also
benefit from the integration of Skype.

Well, I first wrote about the pay-per-call opportunity from the perspective of Google. Glad to see that eBay has recognized the same potential.

UPDATE2: From the eBay/Skype investor call, via The Register:

Whitman explained that eBay currently runs on a transaction fee basis -
sellers pay a variety of charges on selling items. But Skype will
enable eBay to get into the lead generation business where sellers of
products or services pay a fee to receive a phone call from an
interested punter. According to Whitman, US firms pay between $2 and
$12 for such leads. Sales of new cars, travel, business services and
real estate could all be helped by lead generation, a market she valued
at $3.5bn a year.

LLooks like this is eBay’s play to leapfrog Google by bypassing the already highly-competitive pay-per-click game, and going straight to pay-per-call, which is still fertile, new territory.