While eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) said earlier this year that it was planning to spin off Skype in an initial public offering in 2010, it is now being reported that eBay is looking for a buyer willing to pay $2 billion or more for the internet telephone service provider.

Those interested in a buyout may include Andreesen Horowitz and Index Ventures, which were early investors in Skype before its eBay acquisition in 2005. A group of well-known venture capital and large private equity firms are pooling resources to join the bid, according to a source close to the deal.

This will be a year of change for eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY), no doubt, especially after Meg Witman stepped down to be replaced by John Donahoe, President and CEO-elect. The new Skype CEO will be Josh Silverman, currently CEO of Shopping.com. Silverman will join Skype on March 24, 2008 and report directly to Donahoe.

Succeeding Silverman as Shopping.com CEO is another eBay veteran, Andre Haddad. Haddad joined the company in 2001, when eBay acquired iBazar, a leading European online marketplace he co-founded and successfully ran in Paris.

Many Internet companies have been treading water recently and are 'searching' for new growth opportunities. eBay's stock has been down and stagnant for quite some time. Controversy among the eBay 'faithful' about constantly changing fees and procedures has caused an uproar over the last two years.

Clearly, eBay is looking for some fresh blood with a successful track record to move things forward and smooth out the wrinkles. Skype itself has been one of the major wrinkles since eBay overpaid for the free Internet telephone service two years ago.