End Of An Era As Microsoft Shutters Skype

deadline.com:

Microsoft said today it will be retiring the original free internet calling app Skype in May and migrating customers to Microsoft Teams.

In blog post titled “The next chapter,” Jeff Teper, president, Collaborative Apps and Platforms at the software giant said, “The way we communicate has evolved significantly over the years.

From instant messaging to video calls, technology has continuously transformed how we connect with each other.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.” Skype launched in 2003 and in 2005, according to CNBC, had reached 54 million users.

It was acquired by eBay and eventually by Microsoft for $8.5 billion in 2011. But it began to lose ground amid adoption of smartphones.