Here's what the Skype-Camino Networks buy is really about

I've been processing the announcement that Skype is buying Sonorit Holding and its U.S. speech processing, coding and mobile VoIP solutions provider subsidiary Camino Networks for $27 million.

That would be $27 million of eBay stock, actually. 

So what does Skype do with this newly acquired brainpower and associated technology powered by these brains?

Although I believe that emerging solutions would have as the central directive the maximization of Skype mobile call quality, I sense a specific play here for an enhanced mobile eBay solutions suite, using Skype over OEM partner handsets and emerging WiMAX networks. The speech processing acumen now available to Skype would help ensure call quality, and the coding would introduce codecs for this speech.

Let me turn this scenario around. How many times have you placed a bid on an eBay auction, then headed out on your daily rounds, but rushed home as soon as you were done to see if anyone topped your bid?

What if you could take care of this while you were out via eBay click to call, which would generate a SkypeOut call via your Skype-compatible, WiMAX-enabled handset? And what if that handset came, say, pre-configured to load eBay on bootup?

And what if you could be confident that call is going to be high quality?