Is Skype Headed For The Skids?

Skype may seem as if it's riding high right now, but there are disturbing signs that it could be heading for the skids, several months after eBay paid more money for it that you and I can count. There's some evidence that the eBay buyout has sent Skype employees streaming towards the exits, according to VoIP Watch. In addition, VoIP Watch reports, it appears that eBay has been layering several layers of bureaucracy and VPs on top of Skype.

Before the buyout, Skype was lean and hungry. But more VPs usually signal one thing --- less innovation, and hidebound thinking.

As if that weren't enough, Skype took a hit last month when the Info-Tech Research Group recommended that enterprises ban Skype for security reasons.

Then today came even worse news: Yahoo is upgrading Yahoo Messenger with added VoIP features, allowing it connect to phone networks and cellular networks, going head to head against Skype's SkypeIn/SkypeOut.

The upshot? Skype sold itself at precisely the right time, and eBay may be left holding the bag.