Microsoft discontinues its previously sought-after call and text service.
Countdown to the End: Skype Biting the Dust on May 5th, 2025
📸 Photo: GLOBAL LOOK PRESS.
Mark your calendars folks, because the date 05.05.2025 is going down in history as the day we say our final goodbyes to Skype. Back in February, the grim news hit the web, and with an official notice on Microsoft's site, the countdown has begun: "To keep up with client needs, we'll be discontinuing Skype support on May 2025, and our focus will solely be on Microsoft Teams. Teams brings many of the same core features users love in Skype to the table."
Skype's humble beginnings go back to 2003, where it started as a service that allowed free, worldwide computer-to-computer calls. Video calls later joined the scene, forever transforming how we communicate. "Skype" itself became a verb, meaning "to have a video call".
📸 Photo: GLOBAL LOOK PRESS.
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Eldar Murtazin, a leading analyst at Mobile Research Group, shares his thoughts on Skype, stating it "revolutionized" communication by demonstrating the ease of voice IP telephony. However, after Microsoft took over Skype in 2011, it started a downward spiral. Murtazin lamented, "In my opinion, everything Microsoft touches turns into a once-successful service that becomes shoddy software. We've seen this with Skype." He pointed out that the app's performance deteriorated, updates were constant, and users increasingly went for competitor services.
Igor Bederov, the General Director of an "Internet Search" company, noted that Skype's peak popularity occurred in the 2010s with 300 million monthly users. By 2023, that number dwindled to a mere 36 million. The rise of stable and convenient messaging platforms, especially during the pandemic, contributed to Skype's decline.
Among my social circle, few use Skype today. My daughter's tutor, Boris Konstantinovich, admitted, "I use it sparingly, only when a student asks. There are better platforms available."
Microsoft has decided not to invest further in a service that's been more prone to glitches than steady performance.
Microsoft's Goodbye to Skype: Hello Microsoft Teams ⚡️
Microsoft's decision to distance itself from Skype and pour its resources into developing Microsoft Teams is a strategic move.
Teams offers an extensive range of features beyond mere communication, such as calendar integration, task management, and support for up to 10,000 webinar participants, outpacing Skype in capabilities. Microsoft Teams is deeply integrated into the company's ecosystem, making it a natural alternative for users migrating from Skype. According to Igor Bederov, “Technically, Skype couldn’t compete with Teams.”
Users looking to transfer their data from Skype to Teams can do so by January 2026. Automatic sync of chats and contacts occurs upon logging into Teams with your Skype account. Alternatively, you can use the built-in tool in the Skype app to export data. However, some data, such as bot chats or private conversations, may not be preserved.
Don't fret, Skype enthusiasts! Plenty of great alternatives are available in Russia, such as Yandex.Teleмост, Contour.Tolk, VK Teams, and TrueConf.
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- Starting from May 2025, Microsoft will stop supporting Skype, focusing solely on Microsoft Teams instead.
- Skype, which was revolutionary in voice IP telephony, began a downward spiral after Microsoft took over in 2011, with its performance deteriorating and users moving to competitors.
- The decline of Skype was exacerbated by the rise of stable and convenient messaging platforms, especially during the pandemic.
- To adapt to the migration from Skype, users can transfer their data to Microsoft Teams using the built-in tool in the Skype app, but some data, such as bot chats or private conversations, may not be preserved.
