New Delhi: Microsoft, an American multinational technology company, is planning to shut down its video conferencing platform, Skype. According to a report from XDA, a message in the latest Skype for Windows preview reveals that the service will no longer be available starting in May. This marks the end of an era for a platform that revolutionized online communication.
This decision will bring an end to Skype’s 22-year journey as it was first launched in 2003 and acquired by Microsoft in 2011. Over time, Microsoft gradually removed several features, including the discontinuation of Windows Live Messenger. In 2015, Microsoft attempted to integrate Skype into Windows 10. However, the effort lasted only nine months.
Skype faced internal competition when Microsoft launched Teams in 2017. Teams was created to rival platforms like Slack, which are widely used by companies for internal communication. For years, there have been ongoing speculations about when Skype will be shut down.
Teams will soon replace Skype
The preview message indicates that Skype users will be prompted to switch to Teams, with a message reading, “Continue your calls and chats in Teams.” The message will also inform users that many of their contacts have already moved to Teams free, based on their Windows-integrated contacts. Users are expected to start seeing this notification in their Skype apps soon.