Microsoft to shut down Skype in May

Microsoft has announced plans to shut down Skype, its video communication tool that once dominated the internet and had more than three hundred million users.

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In a post on X on Friday, the company announced that the once-popular video-calling service would be discontinued in May.

In its message, the company said users of the service are allowed to switch to Teams, a newer communication service. It recommended they do so before May.

“Starting in May 2025, Skype will no longer be available. Over the coming days, you can sign in to Microsoft Teams Free with your Skype account to stay connected with all your chats and contacts,” the message read.

This is coming 14 years after Microsoft bought Skype for $8.5 billion, which was the company’s largest acquisition at the time.

After the multinational bought the company in 2011, it integrated the service into its other products, including Office and the short-lived Windows Phone operating system.

But things didn’t turn out as planned for the company. The 2020 pandemic saw the rise of competitors that would eventually kick the service out of the market.

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Skype, once a byword for digital calls, was surpassed by smartphone-native communication apps, Zoom video calls and Slack.

To compete, the company was forced to build and invest in Teams, a tool that offers similar services.

Between 2016 and 2023, Skype’s active users dropped from over 300 million to 36 million, while Team’s rose to 320 million.

Speaking on the shutdown of Skype services, Microsoft president Jeff Teper said Skype has contributed significantly to communication service systems worldwide.

“Skype has been an integral part of shaping modern communications and supporting countless meaningful moments, and we are honored to have been part of the journey,” he said in a blog post.

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“I’ve been at Microsoft for over 30 years, and there’s a lot of software that we’ve done that was incredibly valuable in its era, and then the next era came, and it was the foundation.”

“We’re excited about the new opportunities that Teams bring and are committed to helping you stay connected in new and meaningful ways,” he added.

Meanwhile, Skype users migrating to Teams can export their chats, contacts, and call history before the shutdown.

The company has also said those with paid subscriptions will continue to access services until their next renewal period.