Say Goodbye to Skype: Microsoft Announces Free Teams Upgrade for Enhanced Communication!

Microsoft is saying goodbye to Skype, its calling and messaging app that has been around for 14 years. This marks the end of an era for one of the internet’s oldest communication tools.

Skype will go offline on May 5. Users will shift to a free version of Microsoft Teams, which has been in the spotlight as Skype’s replacement. Teams offers similar features like video calls and group meetings.

Jeff Teper, Microsoft’s president of collaborative apps, noted, “Skype has shaped modern communications and many cherished moments.”

There will be no layoffs for the employees who worked on Skype, according to a Microsoft spokesperson.

Soon, Skype users will be able to move their old data, including chats and contacts, to their new Teams accounts.

Skype started in 2003, launched by Nordic entrepreneurs. eBay bought it in 2005 for $2.6 billion, and then Microsoft took over in 2011 for $8.5 billion, which was its biggest acquisition at that time.

By 2016, Skype had about 300 million users. However, its user base shrank over the years as newer apps like WhatsApp and workplace tools like Slack emerged. Now, in 2023, Skype has only around 36 million users left.

Microsoft launched Teams in 2016, and it has become one of the most popular workplace tools with over 320 million users. The company is committed to investing more in Teams.

Teams quickly became Microsoft’s main messaging platform after they announced plans to phase out Skype for Business in 2017, which officially ended four years later.

Users who have paid for Skype credits will keep access to them until their next billing cycle. Even after Skype shuts down in May, the Skype Dial Pad will remain available to paid users within Teams.