TECH HÍREK – Microsoft is closing down Skype, throwing away 7.9 billion euros: after 14 years and peaks of 300 million users, the app is saying its final goodbye. Starting in May, Skype users will have to migrate to Teams or find an alternative platform.

A few weeks ago, Microsoft faced a serious challenge as Skype continued to lose ground to Zoom. After warnings from European regulators, the Redmond-based company was forced to adjust the pricing of its Office and Teams services, following accusations that it was unfairly favoring its own products over the competition. Just days after this controversy, one of the most abrupt yet long-anticipated closures in tech history was confirmed: the end of Skype.

According to XDA Developers, Microsoft has officially announced that Skype will be discontinued in May 2025. The company is now urging users to switch to Teams, which will still offer messaging and calling services. In fact, Skype itself has started displaying a notification alerting users that it will no longer be available starting in May. Launched on August 29, 2003, Skype will come to an end after nearly 22 years of existence.

When Did Skype Peak?

After eight years of success and a peak of 300 million monthly active users, Microsoft made its move to acquire Skype. In 2011, the company placed a massive 7.9 billion euro bid, securing one of the most influential platforms of its time. However, despite more than a decade of efforts and the discontinuation of Windows Live Messenger, the rise of competitors like Discord, Slack, Zoom, and even Microsoft’s own Teams ultimately sealed Skype’s fate.

With the launch of Windows 10, Microsoft attempted to integrate Skype as a core system feature, but the experiment failed and was quietly abandoned within months. Eventually, the company launched Teams as a business collaboration tool, leveraging Skype’s infrastructure while simultaneously phasing it out. By the time Windows 11 arrived, it was clear that Skype was no longer part of Microsoft’s long-term vision, as Teams took center stage. Now, after 14 years under Microsoft’s ownership and more than two decades of history, Skype is finally being retired for good.

Source: 3djuegos