Microsoft has made its move to close down Skype, 14 years since acquiring the platform at a cost of $8.5 billion. From being a video calling and online communication pioneer, Skype is now set to be phased out, bringing the curtain down on one of the most legendary digital tools.
At its height in 2016, Skype had more than 300 million monthly active users, placing it among the most popular communication platforms globally. But the emergence of Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and WhatsApp later eclipsed Skype gradually, to result in a constantly declining level of user engagement.
Microsoft had first incorporated Skype within its ecosystem in hopes of positioning it as a go-to communication platform for professionals and consumers. However, with the growing usage of Microsoft Teams as a professional solution and other messaging platforms for individual communication, Skype was unable to stay relevant.
The formal shutdown date remains to be announced, but Microsoft will emphasize the development of Teams and other communication offerings. For users of Skype since its inception, this is a wistful goodbye to a service that originally transformed the way the world connected.
