Microsoft Shutting Down Skype

At the end of February, Microsoft announced that they are shutting down their free messaging service, Skype, to focus on Teams. Microsoft will begin to phase out the messaging service, with access to Skype officially ending on May 5^th 2025.

The decision marks the end of an era. Skype has been around for more than two decades and is often considered a pioneer of online communication. It was once a leading communication platform that changed the way people interacted with each other online, paving the way to the popularity of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.

What happens next?

All data from Skype will be automatically transferred over to Teams, with users being able to log in to the Teams app and have their messages, chats and contacts all available without having to create another account. If users do not want to use Teams, the option to export their data is also available.

Whilst most features of Skype and Teams are fairly similar, there is one big difference that Skype users will notice. Microsoft is removing the ability to call domestic or international telephone numbers. Microsoft say this is due to the decrease in demand for this service, as whilst it was useful back when voice over IP (VoIP) wasn’t available and mobile data plans were very expensive, this is now no longer the case and being able to call via the internet for free is readily available on other services.

The good news is that Microsoft shutting down Skype does not mean any job losses! Microsoft have said that Teams and Skype employees are all part of one team, and those who concentrated on Skype will now focus on innovation and ensuring Teams is at its very best.