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Get ready to bid goodbye to Skype. In a press release, Microsoft announced it would shut down its once-popular video conferencing app on May 5.
The company encouraged current users to transition to Teams, its other video conferencing and workspace chat app.
In order to streamline our free consumer communications offerings so we can more easily adapt to customer needs, we will be retiring Skype in May 2025 to focus on Microsoft Teams (free), our modern communications and collaboration hub.
With Teams, users have access to many of the same core features they use in Skype, such as one-on-one calls and group calls, messaging, and file sharing. Additionally, Teams offers enhanced features like hosting meetings, managing calendars, and building and joining communities for free.
Existing users have the option to transition to Teams using their Skype credentials
Skype, created by six brilliant Estonian developers, including Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, was launched in 2003.
The video-calling service enabled users to talk to their friends, family, and clients without any extra long-distance charges, and soon, it gained immense popularity.
By the end of 2005, Skype had over 40 million active users, and eBay acquired it for $2.6Bn.
In 2007, eBay recorded a $1.4 billion write-down on Skype, citing the acquisition’s failure to meet performance expectations.
After that, Microsoft took over Skype from eBay in 2011 for a whopping $8.5Bn.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic caused Skype to lose market share to Zoom, resulting in Microsoft permanently retiring Skype for Business in 2021, indicating that Skype’s future was anything but certain.
Microsoft is also offering the existing Skype users the opportunity to transition to Teams and will soon allow them to sign in using their respective Skype credentials.
After signing in, all the relevant Skype data, like chats and contacts, will appear in Teams.
Users can export their Skype data if they don’t want to transition to Teams.
The feature will be initially available to Skype and Teams insiders before reaching general users.
New customers won’t be able to make either international or domestic calls using Skype credits and subscriptions anymore.
Existing customers, however, will be able to use their credits and subscriptions until the next renewal period arrives.
The Skype credit will remain until May 5, when Microsoft plans to bid farewell to its once-thriving video conferencing app.
However, it’s unclear if Microsoft will refund any remaining credits after that date.
What do you think about the death of another legend? Have you used Skype in the last five years? Tell us below in the comments, or reach us via our Twitter or Facebook.
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