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Skype, a pioneering internet calling service, will ring its last call on May 5th as Microsoft deprecates its two-year-old platform. Shutdowns are part of Microsoft’s strategy to streamline communication services and focus on its own team platform.
Released in 2003, Skype revolutionized communications by enabling free audio and video calls across borders and challenging the fixed industry. At its peak it boasted hundreds of millions of users.
However, Skype has struggled to keep up with newer, more user-friendly platforms, such as Zoom and Slack, especially as mobile technology advances. This shift was further driven by a pivot on Microsoft’s team, actively integrated with other office apps, targeting corporate users.
To help users migrate, Microsoft offers free access to teams with automatic contact and chat migration. Skype’s user base has dropped significantly to around 23 million users by 2020, but the team boasts around 320 million active users each month.
Microsoft, which acquired Skype for $8.5 billion in 2011, said it was a big part of Skype in shaping modern communications and expressed its appreciation for its impact. The company also confirmed that the Skype shutdown will not cut jobs.
Skype is on a list of Microsoft’s high-tech ventures that have not lived up to expectations, such as Internet Explorer and Windows Phone.
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