Microsoft announced the end of support for Skype from May 5, 2025, and suggested users switch to another service — Teams. This can be done with a Skype account.
The focus will shift to another free service — a modern center for communication and collaboration — Microsoft decided for optimizing free consumer communication offerings and more effectively adapting to customer needs, as stated in the company's announcement.
In Teams, users will have access to many core Skype features, such as one-on-one and group calls, messaging, and file sharing. Additionally, Teams offers advanced features for free, such as organizing meetings, managing calendars, and creating and joining communities.
Hundreds of millions of people are already using this application for collaborative work. Over the past two years, the number of minutes spent in meetings by Teams users has quadrupled, reflecting the value of Teams for everyday communication and collaboration, according to the company.
The company Skype Technologies was founded in 2003, the service was created by programmers from Sweden, Denmark, and Estonia. In 2011, the company was acquired by Microsoft for $8.5 billion. In 2024, the number of subscribers was 300 million people, but in recent years Skype has started losing popularity, giving way to more modern developments.