PlaceWare, Inc., a leading provider of Web conferencing services that enable businesses to conduct real-time, interactive presentations and meetings over the Internet, today announced its acquisition by Microsoft Corp. is complete. Placeware now becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft. Through this acquisition, the companies plan to deliver innovative and easy-to-use online conferencing solutions that will help connect more people seamlessly in a real-time conferencing environment. Additionally, the companies aim to provide industry partners with improved technologies to develop and deliver new custom business solutions that take advantage of advanced real-time collaboration capabilities.

"With the acquisition of PlaceWare now complete, the newly formed Real-Time Collaboration Business Unit moves forward with an even stronger team and best of breed solution allowing real-time communications and collaboration from anywhere, anytime," said Anoop Gupta, Corporate Vice President, Real-Time Collaboration Business Unit at Microsoft. "Together, we will help customers incorporate real-time communications into the fabric of their daily work activities and achieve substantial productivity gains while reducing costs."