Skype Hits Record Number Of Users, Could This Be A Threat To Phone Service Providers?

Skype, the number one Internet voice caller has hit a whole new level of numbers. Although the company is tied up in a legal battle with its founders, it still found a way to build up its number of users and its quarterly revenue. At the end of the third quarter of 2009, Ebay broke out Skype’s performance numbers, releasing it to the public.

Skype’s already registered users grew drastically, growing 41% to 521 million people, which is an amazing 40 million new users. Skype’s revenues grew 29% to $185 million, beating last quarter’s revenue by a smidge. Skype grew all around this quarter, with Skype to Skype minutes ranging in the billions, 27.7 billion to be exact, roughly a 74% increase.

SkypeOut minutes (paid minutes), grew to a total amount of 3.1 Billion minutes which dragged in $185 million in revenue, from Skypeout alone. At this rapid pace, Skype will be able to beat out their revenue goal of $1 Billion annual revenue goal for 2011. In the 3rd quarter, Skype alongside Paypal held up Ebay’s overall revenue, to bring Ebay’s total to $688 million in revenues (up 15 percent from last quarter). Ebay is currently looking to sell Skype which may not be a smart move, considering that Skype held up most of this quarter’s revenue.

(Via TechCrunch)