Within the Skype and Linux user communities, the announcement that Microsoft is purchasing Skype was not taken too kindly by many. Steve Ballmer had reassuring words to address their concerns, promising that Microsoft will continue to provide Skype for operating systems and devices not sold by Microsoft, although he didn't specifically mention Linux among these.

Even if it does include Linux though, it is an obvious gap for free software. There are other free VoIP solutions for Linux, but none of them measure up to Skype in terms of the details or size. None of these other free VoIP solutions offers a complete stack that presents users with an easy sign up and run experience like Skype. This presents a big problem for Linux users if Microsoft decides to drop Skype support for Linux. This could be a huge problem for those that rely on Skype for frequent overseas calls or as their main phone line.