Cisco Skype Offer

Earth to Skype: Forget those lofty IPO plans. If Cisco Systems or a telecom company comes knocking on your door with a multibillion dollar buyout offer, take the money and run, say institutional investors and Wall Street soothsayers.

Cisco Systems has reportedly made a bid for Skype, even as the Internet videochat service is gearing up for an IPO, according to TechCrunch. The folks at Skype are hoping to land an IPO valuation of $5 billion, so it would likely take an offer as good or better than that to get them to bite.