Microsoft has officially announced that it will discontinue Skype, its 21-year-old calling and messaging platform, in May 2025. The decision marks the end of an era for one of the pioneers of online communication.
The tech giant, which acquired Skype in 2011 for $8.5 billion, struggled to keep it competitive against newer platforms. Jeff Teper, president of Microsoft 365 collaborative apps and platforms, confirmed the move in an interview with CNBC on Friday.
“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,” Teper said. “But we felt like now is the time because we can be simpler for the market, for our customer base, and we can deliver more innovation faster just by being focused on Teams.”
Microsoft is encouraging users to migrate to its free Teams app. As part of the transition, the company will discontinue monthly Skype subscriptions, though users with Skype credits will still be able to use them within Teams.
Over the coming days, users will be able to sign into Teams using their Skype credentials, and contacts and chats will transfer automatically. Microsoft has also provided an option for users to export their data.
Skype’s decline was largely attributed to its outdated technology, which was not optimized for smartphones. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Microsoft prioritized Teams, integrating it with other Office apps to cater to business users—many of whom once relied on Skype.
Despite its closure, Microsoft acknowledged Skype’s impact on revolutionizing online communication. “Skype pioneered audio and video calling on the web for many, many people,” Teper added.
