After more than two decades of people talking on Skype, Microsoft has announced the end of an era, which means: The closure of Skype, one of the pioneering applications in internet communication.

Skype was launched in 2003 and transformed the way people and companies communicated, offering voice and video calls, long before Zoom, FaceTime and WhatsApp were used.

Now, Microsoft is shifting its focus to more sophisticated and modern platforms like Microsoft Teams. In an official statement, Microsoft said that Skype services will be gradually discontinued, with a full shutdown expected by the end of the year. Existing users will receive instructions on how to transfer their contacts and chat history to other Microsoft services, especially Teams.

“While Skype played a fundamental role in shaping digital communication, we are now focused on delivering a seamless and integrated experience through Microsoft Teams,” said Jeff Teper, president of Microsoft 365 Collab Apps & Platforms, adding: “This transition reflects the way people and organizations communicate today — with collaboration, integration, and flexibility at its core.”

“As we take this next step with Teams, we’re excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. We look forward to continuing to support people’s everyday connections, starting with making it easier to sign in to Teams through their Skype accounts,” Teper concludes.

We can't say "goodbye" without thinking about how quickly the years pass...