Cisco Tries To Reverse Microsoft’s Skype Acquisition

Boy, talk about déjà vu. Cisco is trying to block Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype that was already completed in 2011, this time claiming that this deal could infringe competition rules in Europe.

According to a Reuters report Cisco has joined forces with Italian fixed-line and Internet telephone service provider Messagenet SpA and is trying to show the court that the European Commission made several “manifest errors” when it approved the deal two years ago.

Cisco has taken the case to the General Court of the European Union today.

The company actually announced in February 2012 that it would appeal the Commission’s ruling just months after Microsoft purchased the poplar VoIP platform. But as things stand, it is highly unlikely that the general court will overturn the original decision.

Back in November, Cisco actually released a press release criticizing Skype for using, what it calls proprietary standards for its service:

“Skype’s more than 600 million users from calling non-Skype users, and prevents businesses from reaching them via systems that offer services such as healthcare and job training by remote video.”

There is another side to the story, however. Business Insider believes that this could actually be a way to make sure that Microsoft’s Lync (along with Skype’s video messaging feature) does not hurt Cisco Telepresence business.

No official comments from either Cisco or Microsoft on this so far, but expect some words if this matter escalates. For now though it is another day in the court for Skype.