Skype, The popular video call platform will stop working from May 5. Microsoft, SERVICE OWNER Since 2011, he said it pointing out that he will focus on Microsoft Teamswith the intention of optimizing your free communication and collaboration offer for consumers and being able to adapt more easily to the needs of customers.

“Skype has been an integral part of the configuration of modern communications and the support of innumerable significant moments, and we are honored to have been part of this process”, Said the company in a publication of its official blog, signed by Jeff Teper, president of collaborative applications and platforms. “We understand that the change can be a challenge and we want you to know that we are here to support it in each step of the road. We are committed to helping you stay connected in new and significant ways”

From the company they have taken advantage of the announcement to highlight the Advantages that Teams You can offer users. Thus, he points out that he has many of the same main functions of Skype, such as individual and group calls, messaging and sharing files. However, Teams offers improved functions such as organizing meetings, managing calendars and creating and joining communities for free.

“Hundreds of millions of people already use Teams as their center for teamwork, which helps them stay connected and committed to work, school and at home“, they point out from the technological.”In the last two years, the amount of minutes that Teams users dedicate to meetings have been quadrupled, reflecting the value that Teams brings to daily communication and collaboration”

Looking ahead to change Microsoft has indicated that Skype users can access Teams with the same credentials and both their chats and their contacts will appear automatically in the application. Also, during The transition Users of one platform and another will be able to call and chat with each other, and those who used Skype will be able to export their data if they do not want to migrate to Teams.

Microsoft’s movement will affect at least 36 million users, as collected Techcrunch In allusion to the latest figures shared by the company, dating from 2023. The figure, however, is far from the 300 million monthly active users that Skype registered in its peak of activity in 2013.

Skype’s trajectory

In this way, Microsoft ends the platform that acquired 14 years ago for 8,500 million dollars. Skype was launched in 2003 by the Danish Janus Friis and the Swedish Niklas Zennström and quickly stated as the global reference video call platform.

However, the consolidation of intelligent mobile telephony, with instant messaging systems and integrated video calls, began the displacement of Skype. Besides, In 2016 Microsoft presented Teamswhat has already begun to draw the possible disappearance of Skype, despite the fact that a year before the technology towards Skype for Business launched trying to boost its adoption in the business and work ecosystem. In 2017 Microsoft carried out a Skype redesign that did not convince users.

In 2021 Microsoft selected Teams as the integrated communications application preferred in Windows 11, relegating Skype to the background. And in 2022 he consolidated a team and web application of fully rebuilt and redesigned Teams. In the last two years, the minutes of calls from consumers in Teams have quadrupled, as they point out from Microsoft.

In the Skype decline, not only Microsoft’s strategic plans have influenced, but also the different market changes, especially with regard to competition. Thus, applications such as WhatsApp oo social networks as Facebook, Instagram, or more recently Tiktokthey gained popularity among users, and from 2020 and the impact of pandemic, rivals such as Zoom They gained ground.