Microsoft announced that it will discontinue Skype on May 5, 2025, marking the end of an era for the pioneering video-calling service.
Launched in 2003, Skype revolutionized online communication, allowing users worldwide to make voice and video calls over the internet. Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011 for $8.5 billion, integrating it into its suite of services. However, with the rise of competitors like Zoom and FaceTime, and the growing preference for mobile communication apps, Skype's popularity declined.
Microsoft is now focusing on its Teams platform, encouraging remaining Skype users to transition to this modern communication hub, which offers integrated features like calendar management and file sharing.
I'm very curious to know how many companies are still using Skype as opposed to other business-oriented comms methods. And I had NO IDEA that people might still be using it for personal video calls or messaging. It truly feels like a technology from generations ago.
Skype was once one of the world’s most-visited websites. Microsoft originally paid $8.5 billion to acquire it in 2011 and introduced the software as a replacement for the then-ubiquitous MSN Messenger. At peak popularity, it became a verb: “I will Skype you” or “are you down to Skype?”.
https://unherd.com/newsroom/skypes-death-marks-the-end-of-a-simpler-digital-age/
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