Cisco Against Microsoft-Skype Deal, Files Appeal in EU

Cisco has raised objection to the regulatory clearance issued by the European Union to Microsoft's acquisition of the VoIP platform Skype.

In its appeal filed on Wednesday against the decision taken by the EU, Cisco claimed that the acquisition of Skype by the Redmond based software giant could result in a monopoly in the market by the new entity, thus deteriorating competitiveness and consumer benefits.

Cisco, which happens to be one of the largest sellers of high end video conferencing equipments, hence wants the EU to ensure that the Microsoft-Skype alliance allows its video networks to connect with those in offering from other vendors.

The Microsoft-Skype deal which was announced in the second quarter of 2011, got the clearance from the EU 5 months later in October last year - a move by the regulator that Cisco believes, did not include any in-depth investigation.

"This appeal is about one thing only: securing standards-based interoperability in the video-calling space," Cisco stated, reports the Financial Times.

"Making a video-to-video call should be as easy as dialling a phone number. Today, however, you can't make seamless video calls from one platform to another, much to the frustration of consumers and business users alike," it added.