21-Year-Old ‘Skype’ Service To Shut Down In May – Microsoft

Tech giant, Microsoft, has disclosed plans to discontinue its popular video calling and messaging service, Skype, after 21 years.

The decision, which takes effect in May 2025, aims to streamline the company’s communication tools.

According to Microsoft, users can transition to Microsoft Teams to retain access to their chats and contacts.

“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 company stated in a post via X on Friday.

Skype, launched in 2003 by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, gained massive popularity and reached 54 million registered users by 2005.

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However, despite its early success, the platform struggled to compete with newer services like Zoom, WhatsApp, and Microsoft Teams.

Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011 and has since integrated it into its ecosystem. However, the company has now decided to focus on Microsoft Teams as its primary communication and collaboration hub.

Existing paid Skype users, the company said, can continue their subscriptions until their next renewal period, while those with credits will have until May 2025 to use their balance.