Iconic tech brand to be axed in weeks

It was one of the most well known – and used – bits of software in computers and phones and loved by many. But it will gone forever by May.

It was once one of the most well-known pieces of kit on just about every computer. But soon it will be no more.

It’s time to say sayonara to Skype.

Tech giant Microsoft has announced the software that allowed the world to call one another from their computers and phones will be retired on May 5.

It’s a long way from 2011 when Microsoft bought it for almost $14 billion, It was invented in Estonia in 2006.

“The way we communicate has evolved significantly over the years,” Microsoft’s head of collaborative apps and platforms Jeff Teper said in a statement on Friday, US time.

“From instant messaging to video calls, technology has continuously transformed how we connect with each other.

Microsoft bought Skype in 2011 for $14 billion. (Photo by KIMIHIRO HOSHINO / AFP)

“In order to streamline our free consumer communications offerings so we can more easily adapt to customer needs, we will be retiring Skype in May 2025”.

Microsoft is encouraging Skype users to move over to its Teams app which it called its “modern communications and collaboration hub.” 

Existing Skype users will be able to transfer their message history, group chats, and contacts to Teams or export the data.

It has said that Teams does much of the things that Skype can do but has added features including calendar managing and meeting hosting.

However, Teams will not allow users to make phone calls – a key feature of Skype.

“This functionality was great at the time when voice over IP (VoIP) wasn’t available and mobile data plans were very expensive,” said Amit Fulay, vice president of product at Microsoft.

“If we look at the future, that’s not a thing we want to be in.”

Skype to be axed in favour of Microsoft Teams

Indeed, Skype’s primary original use was phone calls. However, more people now connect through apps such as Messenger and WhatsApp which they can use for free.

Skype tried to compete but it simply wasn’t as easy, smooth or reliable.

The final nail in Skype’s coffin was the pandemic.

When Covid-19 hit it was Zoom, not Skype that people turned to when they wanted to connect.

Using Zoom was simple: no account was needed, you could simply click on a link to join and more people could be on the video calls.

Microsoft said Teams was superior to Skype.

But it was also Microsoft’s own Teams app, introduced in 2017 and with an overlap in functionality that damaged Skype.

Indeed, Microsoft said it simply didn’t need Skype now it had Teams.

“Skype pioneered audio and video calling on the web for many, many people,” Mr Teper told CNBC.

“We’ve learned a lot from Skype over the years that we’ve put into Teams as we’ve evolved Teams over the last seven to eight years.

“But we felt like now is the time because we can be simpler for the market and we can deliver more innovation faster just by being focused on Teams”.

Originally published as Iconic tech brand to be axed in weeks