Microsoft Ends Skype
The company has officially discontinued its once-popular service Skype after 22 years, signaling a transition to Teams as its primary communications app. Skype, the pioneering internet calling service, was shut down on May 5, 2025, following...
TroibNews 
The company has officially discontinued its once-popular service Skype after 22 years, signaling a transition to Teams as its primary communications app.
Skype, the pioneering internet calling service, was shut down on May 5, 2025, following nearly 22 years of operation, as announced by Microsoft. The company is redirecting its focus to its Teams application.
Launched in August 2003 by Niklas Zennstrom, Janus Friis, and four Estonian developers, Skype allowed users to make free or low-cost voice and video calls over the internet. The name "Skype" comes from "sky peer-to-peer," which describes its functionality.
“Rest in Peace @Skype You served us well back in the day,” tweeted Rudy Ridolfi on May 5, 2025.
Skype quickly became a worldwide sensation, enabling both Skype-to-Skype calls and calls to traditional landlines and mobile phones. At its peak in the mid-2010s, it boasted more than 300 million monthly users, establishing itself as a pioneer in internet communications.
“Skype wasn’t just an app it was a lifeline for me, a bridge that brought distant worlds closer. Saying goodbye to it feels like letting go of a piece of my youth. These feelings are deeply real and meaningful. Those memories will stay with me forever,” remarked Coin Adam on May 5, 2025.
Over the years, Skype changed ownership several times before being purchased by Microsoft in 2011 for $8.5 billion. Since then, the company has gradually reallocated resources to its Teams platform, which is now positioned as its main offering for business and personal communication.
The emergence of competing services such as Zoom, WhatsApp, FaceTime, and Google Meet played a significant role in Skype’s decline. In late February 2025, Microsoft announced the decision to shut down Skype, encouraging users to transition to Teams while retaining their old contacts and chat history. Users have until January 2026 to transfer their data before it is permanently deleted.
Despite its decline, many users have taken to social media to pay tribute to Skype, declaring its shutdown “the end of an era” and reflecting on how it was one of the first tools they used to connect with friends, family, and colleagues.
“Fly high, frozen blue screen – you weren’t perfect, but you were our first,” one user expressed on X.
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
Skype, the pioneering internet calling service, was shut down on May 5, 2025, following nearly 22 years of operation, as announced by Microsoft. The company is redirecting its focus to its Teams application.
Launched in August 2003 by Niklas Zennstrom, Janus Friis, and four Estonian developers, Skype allowed users to make free or low-cost voice and video calls over the internet. The name "Skype" comes from "sky peer-to-peer," which describes its functionality.
“Rest in Peace @Skype You served us well back in the day,” tweeted Rudy Ridolfi on May 5, 2025.
Skype quickly became a worldwide sensation, enabling both Skype-to-Skype calls and calls to traditional landlines and mobile phones. At its peak in the mid-2010s, it boasted more than 300 million monthly users, establishing itself as a pioneer in internet communications.
“Skype wasn’t just an app it was a lifeline for me, a bridge that brought distant worlds closer. Saying goodbye to it feels like letting go of a piece of my youth. These feelings are deeply real and meaningful. Those memories will stay with me forever,” remarked Coin Adam on May 5, 2025.
Over the years, Skype changed ownership several times before being purchased by Microsoft in 2011 for $8.5 billion. Since then, the company has gradually reallocated resources to its Teams platform, which is now positioned as its main offering for business and personal communication.
The emergence of competing services such as Zoom, WhatsApp, FaceTime, and Google Meet played a significant role in Skype’s decline. In late February 2025, Microsoft announced the decision to shut down Skype, encouraging users to transition to Teams while retaining their old contacts and chat history. Users have until January 2026 to transfer their data before it is permanently deleted.
Despite its decline, many users have taken to social media to pay tribute to Skype, declaring its shutdown “the end of an era” and reflecting on how it was one of the first tools they used to connect with friends, family, and colleagues.
“Fly high, frozen blue screen – you weren’t perfect, but you were our first,” one user expressed on X.
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
