The internet calling service that disrupted landline industry, Skype, is said to be shutdown in May this year as Microsoft says it will focus on Teams.
Skype is expected to cease operating on 5th May as the owner Microsoft retires the two-decade old internet calling service that redefined how people connected and communicated across the globe.
Founded in 2003, Skype took over the landline industry with its audio and video call features making it a household name boasting hundreds of million of users at its peak.
However, the coming in of easier-to-use and more reliable and effective rivals such as Zoom, Facetime, Google Hangouts and Slack made it hard for Microsoft’s Skype to keep up as it’s underlying technology grew less suited for the smartphone era.
In amidst the struggle for Microsoft to integrate Skype into its suite of tools and survive the competition against its rivals, the company launched its collaboration product ‘Teams’ in 2017 that quickly took priority.
Commenting on the development, Microsoft said, ” We are honored to have been part of the journey. Skype has been an integral part of shaping modern communications.”
They further announced that to ease the transition from Skype to Teams, its users will be able to log into Teams for free on any supported device using their existing credentials with chats and contacts migrating automatically.