MICROSOFT ENDS SKYPE AFTER 22 YEARS MOVES USERS TO TEAMS

Microsoft will terminate Skype, its internet-based calling and messaging service, effective May 5, 2025, concluding 22 years of operation since its launch in 2003, as announced this week.

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The company is shifting focus to Microsoft Teams Free, urging Skype users to transfer their accounts, chats, and contacts to the new platform. For long-time users, businesses, and technology observers, the closure marks the end of a service that reshaped online communication, with Microsoft highlighting Teams' advanced features as its future consumer offering.

Acquired by Microsoft for $8.5 billion in 2011, Skype pioneered free voice and video calls, peaking at over 300 million monthly users in the mid-2010s. Competition from Zoom, WhatsApp, and Apple's FaceTime, alongside Microsoft's emphasis on Teams, reduced Skype's daily users to 36 million by 2023. Users can migrate to Teams or export data until January 2026, with Skype credits and subscriptions valid until April 3, 2025. The decision has drawn mixed responses, with nostalgia for Skype's legacy tempered by criticism over Microsoft's handling of account balances.

SKYPE’S LEGACY AND USER BASE DECLINE