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Irish Times
18-05-2025
- Irish Times
My late mother and I talked enough for two lifetimes on Skype. I'll miss it now it's shut down
Long before WhatsApp , there was Skype – a lifeline to all of us living abroad. Messaging platforms are taken for granted now, but at the time, it was ground-breaking. Skype shut down for good last week, but has always had a special place in my heart because of what it meant for myself and my mother. It was February 2005, and I was a work experience student, sitting in the stairwell of my apartment block – 13 storeys high – in Paris . Every evening, people gathered there to ring home. We sat around a single phone box with a card loaded with prepaid credit. This was the level that the technology was at back then. But that summer, everything changed. After returning to Ireland, a lot of us Erasmus-bound language students got our own laptops. It was a turning point in personal communication. Skype was created in 2003, the brainchild of a Swede and a Dane , Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, and a team of Estonian developers. But it didn't come on to my radar until two years later. As I headed off to Nuremberg for a winter semester studying German, it was to make a huge difference between my stint abroad in France and my time in Germany. New laptop in tow, this pioneering free technology allowed our Erasmus generation to stay in touch with family in a way that just hadn't been available for previous generations who emigrated: letters home or a once-a-week call were suddenly replaced with unlimited time on the computer screen. We could all chat as much as we liked. I was able to ring my mother whenever I wanted. Probably too often. READ MORE But Mammy died nine years later – and I was glad we had talked so much. I look back now and wonder, how did we find the time? As an only child whose parents separated in my teens, I was very close to my mother. We also had our disagreements. In fact, we probably had a better relationship when I wasn't at home under her feet. Mammy was very funny and our conversations would be full of silliness and humour. She'd let me talk through relationships that hadn't worked out. I'd ask her how to boil an egg (by the stage I really should have known), or to advise on some new plight in my mid-20s life. We had a Skype party when I quit my bureaucratic job for pastures new. Karen McHugh and her late mother Madeleine It was always a comfort to have my mother on the end of the line. She was the safety net that allowed me to explore Europe without having to miss out on life at home. We had great chats. I thank Skype for that. It was, in some ways, like I'd never moved away. I could have been up the road, though I lived in Brussels, a thousand kilometres away. [ 'Living abroad is a transformative experience that opens our eyes to new cultures, perspectives and opportunities' Opens in new window ] Until my mother got sick. A phone call, from my father, to tell me. I flew home the next day. Mammy had a brain tumour, and it was advanced. She went through a difficult operation and was suddenly very unwell. Nothing was ever the same again. Mammy died nine months later, aged 55. She barely used her laptop again in those nine months, and we never Skyped again. As her illness progressed further, she couldn't talk very much. And I was so thankful we had had those years of conversations, waffling on about everything and nothing. Much later, when I was going through Mammy's belongings, I came across her agendas from those years. She had kept a note of our conversations. 'Talked to Karen for three hours,' popped up more than once. We had talked enough for two lifetimes. Skype went out of service on May 5th, and before that users and former users were told we could download our old messages by then. I logged in for the first time in years. I looked at Mammy's profile picture with a pang – a paint-by-numbers image of two dogs that I had made when I was nine and that was still hanging around somewhere. I'd forgotten about that. The waving emoji invites me to start a conversation. If only. My poor mammy. Tears brim anew. For a split second I can feel that carefree feeling, of when everything was just fine and she was still alive. Karen McHugh and her mother: 'She had kept a note of our conversations. 'Talked to Karen for three hours' popped up more than once' I clicked on the download button. I opened the files. There was nothing there. Our conversations were too old to be stored on the cloud. I felt sickened, and kicked myself for not transferring them years ago. It's too late now. But would I even want to endure the sadness of reading back over all our messages if I had access to them? In 11 years, I had never tried. I do one thing. I take a picture of the screen. It looks like another world. The innocent one you inhabit before you enter that club nobody wants to be part of – when a parent dies and you grow up. [ Life after the death of my mother: You enter new territory where no one ever wants to go Opens in new window ] Meanwhile, my father has taken over when I want to call home. No marathon chats, though. I now live in Iceland. Skype gave me the freedom to stay connected to both parents as I moved around the world. Skype also heralded everything that came after – Zoom, Teams, and WhatsApp groups. I'm delighted for families who can now live abroad much further away than I ever did – in Australia, in America – and keep in touch with home. All of us, in far-flung corners of the world. Living our hybrid Irish-foreign lives. And I'm very grateful for what one piece of technology gave to me and my mother. A lifetime of chats, packed into eight years. Goodbye, Skype. And thank you. Karen McHugh is a journalist based in Reykjavik, Iceland
Forbes
06-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Farewell To Skype As Microsoft Pulls The Plug On Video Messaging Platform
Skype was finally killed off by Microsoft on May 5, 2025. It will be sadly missed by many. © 2020 Bloomberg Finance LP 'We are gathered here today to mourn the passing of a much-loved friend who was cruelly taken from us at the tender age of 21 and cut down in the prime of life by an uncaring stepparent…' I'm talking about Skype , possibly the most popular video messaging service when it was launched. Developed by Niklas Zennström, Janus Friis, along with four Estonian developers, in 2003, it was soon snapped up by eBay, before being sold off to venture capitalists and a Canadian pension fund. Finally, in 20011, Skype passed into the hands of Microsoft for $8.5bn as a replacement for Windows Live Messenger. Now Skype has been heartlessly euthanized by Microsoft. Over the years, Skype was responsible for a massive boost in long-distance communications. It ended the days of those anxious and horrendously expensive international phone calls on what were often poor-quality lines with unacceptable delays and more static than a nylon t-shirt in a thunderstorm. Skype enabled us to see and hear our loved ones clearly no matter where they were. Skype was the glue that held together many a long-distance romance. Skype was the glue that kept us in touch with elderly parents living on the other side of the planet. Skype was often the first time a newborn baby would be shown to their grandparents far away. Skype was often there to put the seal on many an international business deal. Search for Skype now and you see this message. The world's first widely usable video messaging ... More platform was loved by many. Mark Sparrow Since Skype came along there have been many competitors such as Facebook Messenger, Apple's FaceTime, Meta's WhatsApp and Viber. Although WhatsApp has achieved great success, especially with text messaging, few of these apps are as easy to use for video calls as Skype was. So why was it so cruelly taken from us? The answer is Microsoft Teams . The software giant says it wants to 'focus on Microsoft Teams' and to streamline its 'free consumer communication offerings.' Although Teams was in development for a long time, it was tested in the heat of the pandemic and found wanting by many people who had to use it and who realized its shortcomings. Despite gradual changes, Teams has all the elegance and usability of a drunk giraffe. It can be unwieldy to use and has an interface that looks as if it was designed by an accountant. Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration but talk to anyone who uses Teams regularly and you won't hear much love for the software and its layout. It's just clunky and unpleasant to navigate. I've tried over the years to love Microsoft Teams but it always seems to make my life more difficult. Whether it's the way it routinely rejects my password or pretends I don't have a subscription, it always seems to conspire against me. Every time I receive an invitation to join a Teams meeting, usually from a large corporation, my heart sinks. I never know if it will work and I seem to have to spend so much time trying to fiddle with device settings which are always so hard to find. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer (L) shakes hands with Skype CEO Tony Bates during a news conference on ... More May 10, 2011 in San Francisco, California. Microsoft agreed to buy Skype for $8.5 billion. (Photo by) Getty Images Until its shutdown, I was using Skype daily to chat with my older brother who lives 1o0 miles away. Whether he was working at his desk or out walking with his phone, it was easy to Skype him and chat for a few minutes or an hour. It was just so easy to use and felt like a comfortable old pair of house shoes. Teams doesn't notify live incoming calls on my Mac mini is the same way as Skype did, no matter how much I delve into notifications. In contrast, Zoom seems a little easier to use and usually seems to function without issues, although Zoom calls are limited unless you take out a subscription, whereas Skype never minded how long you wanted to talk. With Skype, it was just easy to call someone without the palaver of setting up meetings and schedules. So why has the plug been pulled on Skype? No doubt Microsoft wants to breathe life into the corpse of Teams and, in the process, force more of us to take out a subscription for it to access its 'advanced features,' wherever they may be hiding. Perhaps Microsoft hopes more people will take out a subscription for Office, or whatever it's called this week. Maybe Skype was simply too much competition for Teams. Whatever the real reason for Microsoft pulling the plug on Skype, it will be sadly missed by many of us. For as long as it was there, people refused to migrate to Teams. Microsoft had to give its users a giant nudge and save costs on running two platforms. And, to be fair, it was a largely a free service so we can't complain. I think the decision will backfire because more people will shift from Skype to WhatsApp, which is easier to use than Teams. One thing is for sure, Microsoft Teams is unlikely to ever be as well-loved as Skype was. Rest In Peace, old friend.
Ammon
06-05-2025
- Business
- Ammon
Microsoft has finally killed off Skype
Ammon News - The days of the well-known communication service Skype were already numbered. Now, Microsoft has shut down the service. Users must switch to Microsoft Teams. The end of the digital calling service of yesteryear has been known for some time. Research by XDA Developers into an earlier Skype for Windows preview revealed that Microsoft had built hidden code into this version announcing the end of the service. This hidden code states the following:'Starting in May, Skype will no longer be available. Continue your calls and chats in Teams'.No further announcements have been made, but the message is clear. Microsoft has made its decision and is forcing Skype users to migrate to Microsoft Teams, specifically the consumer version of this tool. No surprise Microsoft's move was not surprising. Skype, which was acquired by the tech giant in 2011 for $8.5 billion, has been used much less in recent years. This has been especially true since 2019, when Microsoft Teams, as well as competing services such as WhatsApp, iMessage, and Discord, gained the upper hand in the VoIP calling and messaging market. To illustrate: during the pandemic, Skype received hardly any attention as an alternative (video) conferencing platform. Until now, Microsoft Teams and Skype have always coexisted for business users. Skype was even used as the backbone for the further expansion of the more popular Teams. In recent years, Microsoft has attempted to revive Skype, for example by adding features such as sending short videos and the AI chat app Bing, the predecessor of Copilot. However, Microsoft has not succeeded in attracting many new users. Necessary patches for Skype were released from time to time. The latest update dates from May 2024, and since December last year, it is no longer possible to purchase Skype credits. Origins of Skype Skype started in 2003 and was one of the most popular VoIP messaging tools at the time. The platform was founded by Swedish IT entrepreneur Niklas Zennström and Danish business partner Janus Friis. These two were also responsible for the P2P platform Kazaa. The VoIP messaging platform initially used a hybrid P2P and client system. After its acquisition by Microsoft in 2011, the service became a fully Azure-based service.
Perth Now
06-05-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
End of an online era as Microsoft closes Skype
Skype, the once-popular video call service, has ended operations after more than 20 years. Owner Microsoft had announced the move in February, encouraging Skype users to migrate to its communications app Teams. "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," the Skype team said in a post on the service's official X page on Monday. "This isn't the end - it's a new beginning. Join us on Microsoft Teams Free and continue making great memories." The service stops being available from Tuesday. Skype was founded in Luxembourg in 2003 by Niklas Zennström of Sweden and Janus Friis of Denmark. The service ushered in an era of online communication as it allowed a mass audience to make free voice and video calls over the internet for the first time. It was particularly popular for international communication as it allowed users to avoid high telephone costs that had been inescapable until then. At its peak, Skype had several hundred million users a month worldwide. According to the Similarweb statistics service, the number of users has since fallen to about 30 million a month. Skype users could not only call other Skype users, but also make calls to landline and mobile numbers. A Skype credit or subscription was required for this feature. Microsoft bought Skype in 2011 for $US8.5 billion and integrated it into its ecosystem, including Windows and Office. Despite this integration, Skype has lost ground to competitors such as Zoom and WhatsApp. But Microsoft Teams, which launched in 2017, has now established itself as one of the leading providers in the collaboration software market and plays a central role in corporate communications.
IOL News
06-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
End of an era: Microsoft retires Skype in favor of Teams
Starting in May 2025, Skype will no longer be available Image: Skype/Facebook Microsoft is retiring Skype, the online voice and video call pioneer that the tech titan acquired in 2011. "Starting in May 2025, Skype will no longer be available," said a post from Skype support on X, directing users to sign into Microsoft's Teams platform for further use of its services. Skype was founded in 2003 by Scandinavians Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis in Estonia, revolutionizing internet communication by offering free voice calls between computers and affordable rates for calls to landlines and mobile phones. Over the years, and as internet speeds improved, Skype evolved to include video calls, instant messaging, file sharing, and group communication features. By 2005, Skype had already reached 50 million registered users, demonstrating its rapid global adoption. Online auction site eBay acquired Skype in 2005 for approximately $2.6 billion, but the expected synergies never panned out, and in 2009, eBay sold a majority stake to a group of investors, who then sold it to Microsoft. In recent years, especially after the rise of the smartphone, Skype failed to hold onto its place against new rivals such as Meta-owned WhatsApp and Zoom, as well as Microsoft's own Teams. "We've learned a lot from we've evolved Teams over the last seven to eight years," Jeff Teper, president of Microsoft 365 collaborative apps and platforms, told CNBC. "But we felt like now is the time because we can be simpler for the market, for our customer base, and we can deliver more innovation faster just by being focused on Teams." Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕
