After more than 20 years of service, Skype—the once-dominant video calling platform—will officially cease operations on Today. Microsoft, which owns Skype, first announced the decision in February and has since encouraged users to transition to its modern communication platform, Microsoft Teams.
In a farewell message shared Monday on Skype’s official X (formerly Twitter) page, the team expressed gratitude to its users: “As we say goodbye to Skype, we want to thank our incredible community. Over the years, you've connected with family, friends, and colleagues across the world.”
They added, “This isn't the end—it's a new beginning. Join us on Microsoft Teams Free and continue making great memories.”
Founded in Luxembourg in 2003 by Swedish entrepreneur Niklas ZennstrΓΆm and Danish co-founder Janus Friis, Skype revolutionized online communication by offering free voice and video calls over the internet to a global audience.
The platform quickly gained popularity—especially for international communication—as it allowed users to bypass steep long-distance phone charges that had previously been unavoidable. At its height, Skype boasted several hundred million active users each month worldwide.
Beyond Skype-to-Skype calls, the service also enabled users to call landlines and mobile phones using prepaid credits or subscriptions, making it a versatile communication tool.
In 2011, Microsoft acquired Skype for $8.5 billion, integrating it deeply into its ecosystem, including Windows and Microsoft Office. However, over time, Skype’s user base declined. According to Similarweb, monthly active users have dropped to around 30 million.
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