Goodbye, Skype ☹️

I don’t know how to say this, but…it’s sad to see Skype go. It feels like saying goodbye to an old friend that you’ll probably never see again.

I remember when I began using Skype actively. It think it was, err…circa 2013. It was the OG video call platform.

From catching up on a project or a PR campaign with an industry colleague to those late night chats with friends across continents, the iconic "Skype ringtone" became a sonic time capsule.

Oh, those nostalgic feelings.

But, it was going to happen, anyway. In December 2024, when it stopped Skype Credits and Skype Number, it seemed like a “wake up and smell the coffee” kind of feeling for many Skype users.

Right after Microsoft acquired Skype in May 2011 to replace its Windows Live Messenger (its largest acquisition at the time) it quickly was integrated into Microsoft technologies such as Xbox and Windows devices. And later Bing. Fast-forward to February 2023 and the video calling app was being used by over 36 million users daily.

But, it turns out that Microsoft had a thing for Teams. It has been pushing Teams, which it launched in March 2017, hard. Like, really hard. And honestly, it didn’t make sense to me why it would launch a product that can do what Skype already did, and even did better.

I mean, Skype Credits was really cool. An affordable pay-as-you-go plan that lets users make international calls with VoIP? Please, take my money. Or what about the Skype Number that lets users own a second (local) phone number — allowing them to answer incoming calls while abroad from their Skype account — as if they we’re in the country where the call was originating from?

Oh, I’m just livid. Why dump such a great product! I can’t even imagine how Janus Friis and Toivo Annus (two of the co-founders) who were credited with the idea of reducing the cost of voice calls, would feel.

Well, its days were already numbered, based on the meteoric rise of Teams. If you're still clinging on to Skype, you have until May 5 to move any data there. Yeah, I know it’s hard to say goodbye. But hey, that's tech for you. Always moving, always changing.

For what it’s worth, Skype will hold a special place in my heart. I made some great friendships and business connections through the app. And it has been a good communications platform for me professionally. For the most part, it was a pioneer in internet communication, connecting people in ways previously unimaginable. Even though I must admit that Zoom later became a game changer in simpliflying video conferencing and meetings.

But, looking ahead, Microsoft's focus on Teams sends a clear message: an integrated collaboration platform that caters to both personal and professional needs with over 320 million users is not a product to toy with.

While Skype's legacy will endure, Teams is the ‘chosen one’!