Microsoft's 10 Biggest Acquisitions
Microsoft's $8.5 billion buy of internet communications company Skype is the biggest in the technology behemoth's history. Here’s a look at some of Microsoft's other high-profile acquisitions.
No. 10: Hotmail Price: $400 million to $500 million (estimated) Date: Dec. 31, 1997 Web-based e-mail Provider
No. 9: WebTV Price: $425 Million Date: April 6, 1997 Early Internet-on-TV company
No. 8: Greenfield Online Inc Price: $486 Million Date: August 29, 2008 Including price-comparison site Ciao (Reuters)
No. 7: Danger Inc. Price: $500 Million (estimated) Date: February 11, 2008 Mobile Software and Services
No. 6: Tellme Networks, Inc. Price: $800+ Million (rumored) Date: March 14, 2007 Voice Technology
No. 5: Great Plains Software Price: $940 Million Date: December 21, 2000 Accounting Software
No. 4: FAST Search and Transfer Price: $1.2 Billion Date: January 8, 2008 Enterprise Search Specialists
No. 3: Visio Price: $1.3 Billion Date: Sept. 15, 1999 Design and Charting Software
No. 2: Navision Price: $1.45 Billion Date: May 2, 2002 Accounting Software
No. 1: aQuantive Price: $6 Billion Date: May 18, 2007 Advertising Software and Services