“Skype is a phenomenal service that is loved by millions of people around the world,” Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said in a press release announcing the deal. “Together we will create the future of real-time communications so people can easily stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues anywhere in the world.”

Microsoft has invested heavily in marketing and improving the technology of its Bing search engine, the Wall Street Journal reported. While it has made some market share gains over the past year, Google still dominates the search market with more than 65 percent of U.S. searches going through its site.