eBay has announced that it intends to purchase the VoIP provider Skype. This is good news for Skype, who knows what kind of news for Skype users. I would hate to see this free service go pay only (since it is peer-to-peer and you generally contribute to the network infrastructure while it is running), but with eBay behind it they could help push it into the mainstream. I can see eBay wanting to use it to allow people to talk about their auction items, and perhaps use the built-in IM features as well. I use it infrequently, but I do subscribe to their SkypeOut service to make local calls across the world, including Korea and China.

You can read one of the many articles about the purchase here: News Article