Microsoft announced on Friday that it will retire Skype in May, which represents the end of the video calling service it received for $ 8.5 billion in 2011.
The company will convert some Skype services to Microsoft teams, which is a platform for the leading video and cooperation agreement, allowing users to log in to the current Skype teams.
The decision reflects the long Microsoft strategy of setting the priorities of the teams via Skype as it unifies its communication services amid increasing competition.
Skype, founded in 2003 by Estonian Engineers, was a leader in online sound protocol (VOIP), enabling users to make online calls instead of relying on traditional terrestrial lines. Ebay acquired Skype in 2005, with the addition of video calls before selling them to Microsoft after six years.
At its peak, Skype had about 170 million users, and Steve Palmer, former CEO of Microsoft, described the brand as “almost synonymous with video and sound communications.” She played a major role in making high -quality video calls within the reach of the audience, reducing the costs of international calls and benefiting from both companies and individuals.
However, Microsoft launched a team in 2017 to compete with the podiums of the workplace such as Slack, indicating a shift in focus. The rise of teams, zooming, and other cooperation tools during the decline in PandeMic Covid-19, despite its early role in converting virtual communication.
As Skype is stopped, Microsoft aims to simplify its communications portfolio, merges users in the ecosystem of the teams with the continued growth of demand for business platforms that focus on business.
