Microsoft announced that it will shut down Skype after 21 years, ending one of the most popular platforms for messaging and, above all, video communication. The technology company, which acquired Skype in 2011, announced that users will no longer have access to their accounts after May 5, 2025 and urged them to switch to the Teams application as soon as possible.
"Skype had 1.95 billion registered accounts, but the number of active users has fallen sharply in recent years. According to Microsoft, in 2024, Skype had 27.8 million active users, down from 40 million in 2020. Teams, the platform which was released in 2017, is now a major competitor to Skype, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when applications like Zoom and Teams gained great popularity, writes A2 CNN.
Microsoft has emphasized that Teams will meet Skype users' needs for calling, messaging, and document sharing, offering similar functionality to Skype. Users can switch to Teams using their Skype accounts and can export their Skype data by May 5.
Due to the decline in users and the increase in popularity of Teams, Microsoft has decided to focus entirely on the development of this platform. Jeff Teper, president of Microsoft 365 apps and collaboration platforms, said that the move to Teams is a step that will enable faster innovation and make it simpler for users.
Skype had a huge impact during its first decade, allowing users to talk for free without paying for phone companies. But over time and with the rise of mobile devices, the platform has lost ground, giving way to newer apps like Teams and Zoom. (A2 Televizion)
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