Farewell, Skype: Microsoft Teams Introduces Free Calls and Enhanced Features

Microsoft Teams Free allows users to continue to use their Skype accounts to communicate with friends and contacts.

Skype will cease to exist in May 2025. In the next few days, you can sign into Microsoft Teams Free using your Skype account and stay connected to all of your chats.

The post also said "Thanks for being a part of Skype."

The service, which revolutionized global communications in the past, is now ending an era.

Skype was introduced in 2003 and rapidly rose in popularity due to offering free computer-to-computer voice and video calling services. This helped popularize internet-based communication.

BBC reports that Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011 for $8.4 billion. Skype was then integrated into Microsoft's ecosystem including Windows and Xbox devices.

It was at the time a major player in real-time communication, with millions users all over the world.

The report states that Skype's dominance has begun to decline with the advent of Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.

The user base grew dissatisfied despite attempts to redesign the service. A revamp was performed in 2017 which emulated Snapchat features for added ease-of-use.

Microsoft Teams, its modern communication and collaboration hub which has experienced exponential growth over time, especially among consumers, has recently come into focus for Microsoft.

Teams offers many of the core features that users use with Skype. These include group and one-on-one calling, file sharing, messaging and calendar management. Teams also offers free features such as hosting meetings, managing your calendar, and creating and joining communities.

The move to Teams highlights an evolving landscape in digital communication. People are increasingly looking for robust platforms that can be used at work, school and to collaborate with friends.

Microsoft believes that Teams can become the next communication platform of choice.