The video calling app Skype will be shutting down on May 5 this year, according to Bloomberg.
Microsoft said it will retire the messaging and internet calling service, which once dominated the competition. The company was bought for $8.5 billion in 2011, and in its heyday, Skype had 300 million users on a monthly basis. However, as time passed, Skype was overtaken by technology and other apps, and its user base shrank to around 36 million in 2023. Teams, WhatsApp, and Zoom became more popular, with Teams growing to around 320 million users per month. It’s believed that Microsoft wishes to discontinue Skype to put its effort into Teams and boosting its AI capabilities.
Skype was instrumental in making Voice over Internet Protocol popular, allowing individuals and businesses to connect with others over the internet. Skype users can migrate their data until May 5 or get Teams as an alternative platform.
