Retirement Microsoft Skype after 20 years – as the platform failed to continue with magnification, Slack

Skype will last for the last May 5 while owner Microsoft retires the two -decade internet call service that redefined how people are connected beyond borders.

Skype closing will help Microsoft focus on serving his teams at home by simplifying his communication offers, said the software giant on Friday.

Founded in 2003, Skype’s audio and video calls quickly destroyed the fixed line industry in the early 2000s and made the company a home name boasting hundreds of millions of users at its peak.

But the platform has struggled to continue with rivals easier to use and reliable as Zoom and Salesforce’s Slack in recent years.

The decline was partly because Skype’s basic technology was not suitable for the smartphone era.

When Pandemia and Homework prompted the need to call online business, Microsoft tried for teams by aggressively integrating it with other office applications to tap corporate users-knowing a key Skype base.

To facilitate the transition from the platform, its users will be able to enroll on free teams on any device supported using their existing credentials, with conversations and contacts that automatically migrate.

With this, Skype will become the latest in a series of high flight bets that Microsoft has misused, such as the Browser Internet Explorer Web and its Windows Phone.

Other large technology firms have also struggled with online communication tools, with Google making some efforts through applications including Hangouts and Duo.

Microsoft refused to share the latest user figures for Skype and said there would be no work cuts due to movement.

She added that teams have about 320 million active monthly users.

When Microsoft bought Skype in 2011 for $ 8.5 billion after exceeding Google and Facebook – its largest deal at the time – the service had about 150 million monthly users; By 2020, that number had dropped to about 23 million, despite a brief revival during the pandemic.

Microsoft said Friday “Skype has been an integral part of the formation of modern communications. We are honored to have been part of the journey.”