This May, Skype will go out of business as its owner, Microsoft, retires the internet calling service that has revolutionized cross-border communication for the past 20 years.
By streamlining its communication options, the shutdown of Skype would allow Microsoft to concentrate on its in-house Teams service, the software behemoth announced on Friday.
Users will be able to access Teams for free on any compatible device with their current login credentials, with chats and contacts automatically transferring, to facilitate the platform’s transition.
Skype will thus become the most recent in a string of bold ventures that Microsoft has mismanaged, including its Windows Phone and the web browser Internet Explorer. Google has made multiple attempts with programs like Hangouts and Duo, but other large tech companies have also had trouble with online communication tools.
Skype had over 150 million monthly users when Microsoft purchased it for $8.5 billion in 2011 after outbidding Google and Facebook in what was then its biggest acquisition. By 2020, however, that number had dropped to just 23 million, despite a brief uptick during the pandemic.
“Skype has been a vital component of shaping modern communications,” Microsoft stated on Friday.
“We feel privileged to have shared in the trip.”
With hundreds of millions of users at its height, Skype, which was founded in 2003, swiftly upended the landline market in the early 2000s with its low-cost audio and video chats. However, the platform has found it difficult to compete with more dependable and user-friendly competitors like Zoom.
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