Microsoft shuts down Skype after over two decades.
Today marks the end of an era for Skype, the video calling app that helped businesses and individuals communicate for over two decades.
Skype was founded in 2003 by Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström, with the software developed by Estonians Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu and Jaan Tallinn. The platform quickly gained popularity, but faced challenges that included a ban in China. Skype changed hands twice, first being acquired by eBay in 2005 for $2.6 billion and later by Microsoft in 2011 for $8.5 billion.
In February, Microsoft announced that Skype will be retired, impacting both free and paid Skype users, but not Skype for Business users.
In the statement, Microsoft said Skype services will now be replaced by Microsoft Teams, which offers many of the same core features plus a number of other features. Users should sign in to Microsoft Teams Free on any supported device using their Skype credentials, and their contacts and chats will automatically be transferred.
Existing calling and Skype number subscriptions continued to automatically renew until 3 April. Microsoft added that after May 2025, the Skype dial pad will be available to remaining paid users from the Skype web portal and within Teams Free.
Jeff Teper, president of collaborative apps and platforms at Microsoft, said with Teams, users can still access features 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, noted Teper.
“Hundreds of millions of people already use Teams as their hub for teamwork, helping them stay connected and engaged at work, school and at home. In the past two years, the number of minutes spent in meetings by consumer users of Teams has grown by four times, reflecting the value Teams brings to everyday communication and collaboration.
“As we take this next step with Teams, we’re excited about the opportunities ahead. We look forward to continuing to support people’s everyday connections, starting by making it easy to log into Teams with their Skype account.”
