Microsoft Corporation is close to concluding a deal to purchase Skype Technologies SA, which provides Internet telephony services, for approximately $7-8 billion, The Wall Street Journal reports .

The deal, according to the publication, could be announced as early as Tuesday. At the same time, according to the newspaper's sources, the terms of the deal have not yet been finally agreed upon, and the preliminary agreements may be disavowed. Considering Skype's debts, the purchase price could reach $8.5 billion.

Acquiring Skype would give Microsoft, which is looking to expand its capabilities in the consumer market, a well-known Internet brand.

Let's remember that last week, Reuters sources reported that the most likely contender for the purchase of Skype is the world's largest social network Facebook, and its competition is from another Internet giant - Google Corporation (read more in the material " Who will buy Skype?" ). The transaction price was estimated at $3-4 billion.

Skype was founded in 2003. In 2005, the company was acquired by EBay for $2.6 billion, then 70% of its shares were sold in 2009 to a group of private investors at a valuation of $2.75 billion. Today, the service has 663 million registered users, its monthly audience is 145 million Human.

Skype's revenue in 2010 grew to $860 million (from $719 million in 2009), the net loss was $7 million ($369 million in 2009).

In recent years, Microsoft has made Internet development one of its priorities and, in particular, is actively promoting the Bang search engine.

WSJ: Microsoft is close to buying Skype for $7-8 billion