Latest news with #SkypeforBusiness
NZ Herald
06-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
The internet says goodbye to Skype, and thanks for all the calls
Microsoft is encouraging Skype's remaining users to migrate to Teams, its calling service that it says offers many of the same calling and messaging functions but there are also plenty of other free alternatives. Skype for Business, a separate service, will remain functional, it said. 'Skype was a broadening of horizons in my mind,' technology journalist and broadcaster Will Guyatt said in a phone interview on Monday, recalling how he became a user when it first launched. At the time, he said, it was a novel way to keep in touch with friends who had moved abroad or were travelling. 'It was quite eye-opening – the fact that you could make decent calls to people on computers and then pretty soon after that solid video calls,' he recalled. 'It made it simple and easy to do.' The news of Skype's closure prompted a flood of nostalgia from other users online. For some millennials, Skype's heyday coincided with coming-of-age moments, and its familiar bubbly ringtone conjured up core memories. 'Goodbye folks. It's been a long, productive relationship. To finding love, to interviewing for the first job and many, many more,' wrote one user on Reddit. 'The hardest part is going to be teaching my [technologically] inept parents how to use a new app,' joked one commenter in response. 'Many memories were shared through late-night calls and laughter. You connected us across miles and time zones. Goodbye, old friend,' wrote one user in a tribute to Skype shared on X. 'Goodbye, Skype … You stuttered, you froze, and you disconnected … But, you served us well in times of need,' another said. Others expressed disappointment with Microsoft's decision to not refund Skype credit to some users. The company said it will add an option for Skype account holders to keep using their funds for phone calls online or in Teams. Skype was founded in Tallinn, Estonia, in 2003, by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis. The service's VoIP technology allowed free calls between Skype users, bypassing traditional phone companies and their expensive call rates. For a fee, users could also call traditional telephone numbers from a Skype account. In 2005, eBay bought Skype for $2.6 billion and later added video calls. Skype ultimately failed to keep up with rivals – most notably Zoom, but also other services offered by Cisco, WhatsApp, Google and Apple – at the same time as its owner, Microsoft, invested heavily in Teams. By 2023, Skype's number of daily users had dropped to 36 million, the company said at the time. Guyatt, the tech journalist, said Microsoft initially invested in new features for Skype but ultimately neglected it in favour of Teams. As a result, Skype failed to keep up with shifting consumer habits, and that became obvious during the pandemic. He said it was difficult to jump on to a Skype call quickly because it required a Microsoft log-in, and the tool focused on calls between two users, as opposed to the digital meeting rooms that people had grown accustomed to. 'Microsoft fiddled around improving the video quality, but didn't offer loads of new features, and that's where ultimately it lost out,' Guyatt said. 'People had better features on other services.'
The Hindu
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Skype shuts down after 21 years of connecting callers
After 21 years, Microsoft shuts down Skype this week, with free and paid users instead invited to join Microsoft Teams for their video calling needs. The earlier announcement of Skype's end as well as its final shutdown was bittersweet news for many who depended on the audio-video calling service for everything from carrying out business across borders to staying in touch with loved ones across oceans. Skype was a tool used by over 300 million users at its peak and was acquired by Microsoft in 2011, per Washington Post. In later years, the emergence of video calling functions across other apps and platforms such as Meta and Google dented Skype's popularity. Furthermore, advanced video conferencing tools such as Zoom made it seamless to connect huge groups of callers, while Skype lacked such innovative updates. Microsoft invited users to export or delete their Skype data. 'In May 2025, Skype will be retired. This change will impact both free and paid Skype users, but not Skype for Business. Skype users will have the option to move to Microsoft Teams Free, which offers many of the same core features and more,' said the company in a blog post. However, Skype for Business users will not be impacted by the change. Microsoft said that users could sign in to Microsoft Teams Free on any supported device with their Skype credentials, and that their contacts and chats would be automatically transferred.
The Hill
05-05-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Goodbye, Skype: Once-popular video calling service shuts down for good
(NEXSTAR) – After a 21-year run, the once widely-used video chat app Skype is now officially a memory, as of May 5. 'Rest in peace, Skype,' one person wrote on X. 'You served us well.' 'Listen to that iconic Skype ringer one last time,' another urged, adding a clip of the bubbly, slick tone. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Luxembourg, Microsoft-owned Skype has been credited with making video calls easy and affordable for millions of people. US destinations report tourism drops. Will it lead to cheap summer travel? 'Skype has been an integral part of shaping modern communications and supporting countless meaningful moments, and we are honored to have been part of the journey,' Jeff Teper, president of collaborative apps and platforms at Microsoft, in a statement. Teper said the decision to shut down Skype comes as Microsoft looks to 'streamline our free consumer communications offerings so we can more easily adapt to customer needs.' What happens now for Skype users? Skype users will no longer be able to log into their accounts, but they can use the same credentials sign into Microsoft Teams Free on any supported device. One's contacts and chats will be automatically transferred and the user will also see a notification in the Skype app 'prompting you to take action to migrate your data,' according to Microsoft. Why Costco, Sam's Club typically have lower gas prices than other stations Microsoft notes that the following data doesn't migrate to Teams Free: Chats between Skype users and Teams work or school accounts will not be migrated. Users can use Teams Free to start a new conversation with Teams work or school users and enjoy even more functionality. Skype to Skype for Business chat history will not be migrated. 1:1 chat with self history will not be migrated. Private conversations data will not be migrated. Copilot and bots content will not be supported in Teams Free and no chat history will be available. For loyal Skype users who aren't interested in hopping over to Teams, there is also the option to export one's Skype data. Anyone who takes no action and fails to log in to Teams by January 2026 will lose their data. Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011 for $8.5 billion.
Boston Globe
05-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
The Internet says goodbye to Skype, and thanks for all the calls
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Skype was founded 21 years ago and purchased by the computing giant for $8.5 billion in 2011, at the time its biggest acquisition to date. Advertisement Microsoft is encouraging Skype's remaining users to migrate to Teams, its calling service that it says offers many of the same calling and messaging functions — but there are also plenty of other free alternatives. Skype for Business, a separate service, will remain functional, it said. 'Skype was a broadening of horizons in my mind,' technology journalist and broadcaster Will Guyatt said in a phone interview Monday, recalling how he became a user when it first launched. At the time, he said, it was a novel way to keep in touch with friends who had moved abroad or were traveling. 'It was quite eye-opening — the fact that you could make decent calls to people on computers and then pretty soon after that solid video calls,' he recalled. 'It made it simple and easy to do.' Advertisement The news of Skype's closure prompted a flood of nostalgia from other users online. For some millennials, Skype's heyday coincided with coming-of-age moments, and its familiar bubbly ringtone conjured up core memories. 'Goodbye folks. It's been a long, productive relationship. To finding love, to interviewing for the first job and many many more,' wrote one user on Reddit. 'The hardest part is going to be teaching my [technologically] inept parents how to use a new app,' joked one commenter in response. 'Many memories were shared through late-night calls and laughter. You connected us across miles and time zones. Goodbye, old friend,' wrote one user in a tribute to Skype shared on X. 'Goodbye, Skype… You stuttered, you froze, and you disconnected… But, you served us well in times of need,' another said. Others expressed disappointment with Microsoft's decision to not refund Skype credit to some users. The company said it will add an option for Skype account holders to keep using their funds for phone calls online or in Teams. Skype was founded in Tallinn, Estonia, in 2003, by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis. The service's VoIP technology allowed free calls between Skype users, bypassing traditional phone companies and their expensive call rates. For a fee, users could also call traditional telephone numbers from a Skype account. In 2005, eBay bought Skype for $2.6 billion and later added video calls. Advertisement Skype ultimately failed to keep up with rivals — most notably Zoom, but also other services offered by Cisco, WhatsApp, Google and Apple — at the same time as its owner Microsoft invested heavily in Teams. By 2023, Skype's number of daily users had dropped to 36 million, the company said at the time. Guyatt, the tech journalist, said Microsoft initially invested in new features for Skype but ultimately neglected it in favor of Teams. As a result, Skype failed to keep up with shifting consumer habits, and that became obvious during the pandemic. He said it was difficult to jump onto a Skype call quickly because it required a Microsoft log-in, and the tool focused on calls between two users, as opposed to the digital meeting rooms that people had grown accustomed to. 'Microsoft fiddled around improving the video quality, but didn't offer loads of new features, and that's where ultimately it lost out,' Guyatt said. 'People had better features on other services.'
Gulf News
05-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf News
Skype rings for the last time after three decades: What's next for users?
Dubai: After more than two decades of connecting families, friends and colleagues across the globe, Skype is officially shut down on May 5. The closure, first announced in February 2025, marks the end of an era for the pioneering internet calling and messaging service, which Microsoft acquired nearly 14 years ago. Launched in 2003, Skype quickly became a household name, revolutionising online communication. At its peak in the mid-2010s, it boasted over 300 million monthly active users. However, the rise of newer platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams gradually pushed Skype out of the spotlight. Why is Skype shutting down? When Microsoft purchased Skype in May 2011, the deal represented its largest acquisition at the time. The platform played a key role in Microsoft's early mobile strategy and was widely adopted in homes for personal video and voice calls. However, the company's efforts to reposition Skype for workplace use faltered in the face of growing competition, particularly from Slack. Eventually, Microsoft opted to develop an entirely new product, Microsoft Teams, which has since become a central component of its productivity suite and a strong competitor to platforms like Slack, now owned by Salesforce. Skype for Business will remain available for a limited time, but the consumer version of Skype is being phased out entirely. Over the years, Skype also faced stiff competition from apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat and WeChat. Users increasingly reported technical issues including missed or phantom calls and problems syncing across devices. Although Microsoft worked to improve reliability, the platform's frequent redesigns, such as a short-lived attempt to mimic Snapchat's interface, left some long-time users disillusioned. The decision to shut down Skype reflects Microsoft's broader shift in focus towards enhancing Teams, particularly with the integration of new artificial intelligence features. What happens next for Skype users? According to Microsoft, existing Skype users can migrate to Microsoft Teams for free. By signing into Teams with their Skype credentials on any supported device, users will find their contacts and chat history automatically transferred. A prompt within the Skype app will guide users through the migration process. For those who prefer not to use Teams, Microsoft is offering an option to export Skype data. Users have until January 2026 to download or migrate their information, after which it will be permanently deleted.
