Microsoft is shutting down Skype after over two decades

[Celerity]

Internet calling service that disrupted landline industry to close in May as tech giant says it will focus on Teams

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/feb/28/microsoft-skype



Skype will ring for the last time on 5 May as owner Microsoft retires the two-decade-old internet calling service that redefined how people connect across borders.

Shutting down Skype will help Microsoft focus on its homegrown Teams service by simplifying its communication offerings, the office software giant said on Friday.

Founded in 2003, Skype quickly disrupted the landline industry in the early 2000s with its audio and video calls, making the company a household name boasting hundreds of millions of users at its peak. But the platform has struggled to keep up with easier-to-use and more reliable rivals such as Zoom and Salesforce’s Slack in recent years, in part because Skype’s underlying technology grew less suited for the smartphone era.

When the pandemic and work from home fueled the need for online business calls, Microsoft batted for Teams by aggressively integrating it with other Office apps to tap corporate users, once a major base for Skype.

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[hlthe2b]

1. I have a balance that I can't get refunded (apparently) since it has been on the account longer than 30 days.

I only use it when I travel internationally and this really sucks!

Damned Microsoft.

[Johonny]

2. I like Teams better

Don't hit or yell 😀

[nilram]

3. Good to know. I use it for international calls

because they have good rates and I don't like WhatsApp/Facebook.

[dickthegrouch]

4. FaceTime or Signal are good alternatives /nt