When big boys–and girls–go shopping

The tech giants picked up some significant trinkets over the weekend. Of most direct interest to ACS is the purchase of Siebel Systems by Oracle ($3.6 B). ACS uses the Siebel CRM system. So how long before we get to choose between switching to Oracle or live with an unsupported software system?

Then Meg Whitman and eBay bought up Skype for $2.6 B. Whitman’s explanation is worth noting by community-based organizations like the Society: "Communications is at the heart of ecommerce and community," said Meg
Whitman, President and Chief Executive Officer of eBay. "By combining
the two leading ecommerce franchises, eBay and PayPal, with the leader
in Internet voice communications, we will create an extraordinarily
powerful environment for business on the Net."

I’ll buy that.

(Update: The NYT says the purchase price of Siebel is $5.85 B. But, hey, what’s a couple of billion here or there?)