Microsoft shuts down Skype, nudging users toward Microsoft Teams alternative services
Microsoft officially pulled the plug on Skype this week, a once popular two-decade-old VoIP service that could be used to chat and place audio or video calls with other Skype users and call domestic or international phone numbers or cell phone numbers. Instead, the company has attempted to corral willing Skype users over to Microsoft Teams.
We’ve known about Skype’s demise for a few months, as Microsoft said they were going to move forward with this decision back in February. Microsoft gave Skype users two options: 1) Move to Microsoft Teams for free using existing Skype credentials and retain all chat & call histories and contacts in-app; or 2) Export chat & call histories and contacts from Skype so that they can be accessed and used on another platform.
Users had until yesterday, Monday, May 5th to choose and complete their migration path, so it is no longer possible to do so today. If you haven’t yet, you will find that Skype has been shut down and it’s no longer possible to log in.
Skype had a long history of bringing affordability to the table with long-distance calls, which traditional communications companies have long charged extra for. Unfortunately, Microsoft Teams offers no such functionality, so it will feel like a downgrade to the loyal, but long-shrinking Skype user base. Alternate online calling platforms like Zoom and WhatsApp have gained traction, picking up Skype users along the way.
Microsoft acquired Skype back in 2011 for $8.5 billion, and much of what it learned after acquiring Skype went on to lead the development of its first-party Microsoft Teams service. The latter isn’t quite as user-centric as Skype was, as Teams is best suited for corporate communications between colleagues, creating something of a learning curve for end users.
While both services offered core features like one-on-one calls, group calls, messaging, and file sharing, Teams adds features like hosting meetings, managing calendars, and joining communities. Some of these options might feel bloated if you’re just hopping on to message your friend or call a family member abroad, so it remains to be seen why users would choose Teams when other user-oriented Skype-like alternatives exist.
The whole decision on Microsoft’s part feels like an end of an era for me, especially considering how often I used Skype back in the day.
Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2025/05/06/microsoft-shuts-down-skype/
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