Microsoft announced on Friday that it will retire Skype, the pioneering internet communication platform. The tech giant acquired Skype in 2011 after its global rise. Starting May 2025, Skype services will fully transition to Microsoft Teams, according to a Skype Support post on X.
Starting in May 2025, Skype will no longer be available. Over the coming days you can sign in to Microsoft Teams Free with your Skype account to stay connected with all your chats and contacts. Thank you for being part of Skype pic.twitter.com/EZ2wJLOQ1a
— Skype (@Skype) February 28, 2025
Founded in 2003 by Scandinavians Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, Skype revolutionized digital communication with free computer-to-computer calls. By 2005, the platform boasted 50 million registered users, cementing its rapid global adoption. eBay purchased Skype for $2.6 billion in 2005 but later sold it to Microsoft after failing to integrate synergies.
Jeff Teper, President of Microsoft 365, stated, “We’ve learned from Skype to enhance Teams over eight years.” He emphasized simplifying services for customers and accelerating innovation through unified focus. Group chats will migrate seamlessly to Teams, with a 60-day interoperability window for messaging between Skype and Teams users.
Why Microsoft is Phasing Out Skype
Rising competition from WhatsApp, Zoom, and Teams eroded Skype’s relevance post-smartphone era. Microsoft will remove Skype’s telephony features, ending calls to landlines and mobiles. The company cited cheaper mobile data plans and shifting user preferences as reasons for this change.
Skype’s name originated from “Sky peer-to-peer,” reflecting its decentralized network architecture. This peer-to-peer model distributed server demands across users’ devices, enabling rapid scalability. Though retiring, Skype’s innovations laid groundwork for modern communication tools.
Microsoft urges users to switch to Teams for continued collaboration, ensuring a smooth transition ahead of Skype’s 2025 sunset.
