Microsoft has announced that it will discontinue Skype in May, replacing it with a free version of Microsoft Teams. This decision comes as platforms like WhatsApp, Zoom, FaceTime, and Messenger have taken over the VoIP communication landscape, overshadowing Skype's traditional cellphone calling feature.
According to The Verge, existing Skype users will be able to seamlessly transition to Microsoft Teams by logging in with their current credentials, ensuring their message history and contacts are readily available. However, Microsoft plans to phase out support for domestic and international calls.
Skype users who prefer not to switch to Teams have the option to export their data, including photos and conversation histories, using a tool provided by Microsoft. This allows them to preserve their Skype chat history even if they choose not to migrate to Teams.
Users have until May 5 to make their decision, as Skype will go offline on that date. Microsoft will continue to honor existing Skype credits, but new customers will no longer have access to paid Skype features that enable international and domestic calls.
The primary feature lost with Skype's shutdown is the ability to make calls to cellphones. Microsoft's Vice President of Product, Amit Fulay, told The Verge that while telephony functionality was valuable during Skype's peak, it is now less relevant. Fulay explained, "Part of the reason is we look at the usage and the trends, and this functionality was great at the time when voice over IP (VoIP) wasn’t available and mobile data plans were very expensive. If we look at the future, that’s not a thing we want to be in."
Microsoft acquired Skype for $8.5 billion in 2011, aiming to enhance its focus on real-time video and voice communications and tap into Skype's then-160 million active users. Skype was once integral to all Windows devices and was even highlighted as a feature for Xbox consoles. However, Microsoft acknowledges that Skype's user base has stagnated in recent years, shifting their focus to Microsoft Teams for consumer use.
