Daijiworld Media Network

San Francisco, March 2: Microsoft has announced that it will retire its once-popular video conferencing application Skype, with the service set to be discontinued on May 5.

Jeff Teper, president of collaborative apps and platforms at Microsoft, explained the decision in a blog post: "In order to streamline our free consumer communications offerings so we can more easily adapt to customer needs, we will be retiring Skype in May 2025 to focus on Microsoft Teams (free), our modern communications and collaboration hub."

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Teper noted that Microsoft Teams offers users many of the same features that Skype does, such as one-on-one calls, group calls, messaging, and file sharing. "Additionally, Teams offers enhanced features like hosting meetings, managing calendars, and building and joining communities for free," he added.

During the transition, users will have the option to move to Microsoft Teams for free or export their data from Skype. "Skype will remain available until May 5, 2025, giving users time to explore Teams and decide on the option that works best for them," Microsoft confirmed in the post.

Alternatives to Skype:

For those seeking alternatives, several options are available:

• WhatsApp: A widely-used app owned by Meta, offering text messaging, voice and video calls, and group chats.

• Zoom: Popular for its video meetings, Zoom became especially well-known during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Google Meet: Replacing Google Hangouts, Meet is available to anyone with a Google account for video conferencing.

• FaceTime: Apple’s video and voice calling service for iPhone, iPad, and Mac users is another popular alternative.

As Microsoft shifts its focus to Teams, users have a variety of options for communication and collaboration.