[NEWS] Microsoft to shut down Skype

Another product bought up by a big tech business and (eventually) closed down in favour of their own product, and another third-party product destroyed by Microsloth buying it up.  :-\
    Skype Is Finally Shutting Down on May 5
    ---------------------------------------
    Microsoft today announced that it will officially retire Skype
    on May 5, 2025, concluding its 14-year tenure as the owner of
    the once-dominant internet calling and messaging service.
    Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011 for $8.5 billion in what was
    then its largest-ever acquisition. At its peak, Skype had more
    than 300 million monthly active users and was synonymous with
    internet-based voice and video calling. The service steadily
    declined in relevance in recent years, with its active user
    base shrinking to approximately 36 million by 2023 as
    competitors such as Zoom, WhatsApp, and Microsoft's own Teams
    platform gained traction.
    Teams has since grown to 320 million monthly users, far
    surpassing Skype's remaining user base. The company's decision
    to discontinue Skype is apparently part of a broader effort to
    prioritize artificial intelligence features within Teams.
    Employees currently working on Skype will be reassigned to
    other projects rather than being laid off.
    Skype played a key role in popularizing VoIP (Voice over
    Internet Protocol) technology, enabling businesses and
    individuals to connect around the world with minimal costs. It
    also served as an early testbed for AI-powered real-time
    language translation, a feature Microsoft showcased in a widely
    publicized demonstration in 2014. However, its frequent UI
    changes, reliability issues, ill-conceived social media-like
    features, gradual shift toward enterprise, and inability to
    keep pace with newer competitors, especially during the
    COVID-19 pandemic, ultimately led to its obsolescence.
    As Microsoft finalizes the shutdown process, existing Skype
    users will have until May 5 to migrate their data and contacts
    to Teams or seek alternative solutions.
    <https://www.macrumors.com/2025/02/28/skype-shutting-down-on-may-5/>