Nowadays, video calls are the norm. Nearly everyone has apps like FaceTime on their phone, and you can have a virtual face-to-face chat any place, any time.
Those video calls were originally a thing fantasized of in sci-fi movies. But one service brought it to the mainstream.
Skype, a groundbreaking service in the world of internet-based communications, will shut down after more than two decades of operations, parent-company Microsoft announced on Friday.
The company, which acquired Skype for $8.5 billion in 2011, said it’ll sunset the service in an effort to consolidate its communication offerings into one service. That service, Microsoft Teams, will be its focus as Microsoft’s “modern communications and collaboration hub.”
“With Teams, users have access to many of the same core features they use in Skype, such as one-on-one calls and group calls, messaging, and file sharing,” Microsoft’s statement reads in part. “Additionally, Teams offers enhanced features like hosting meetings, managing calendars, and building and joining communities for free.”
Microsoft says Skype users will have the ability to log into Teams in the coming days using their Skype credentials. Then, they’ll be able to transfer contacts and chat history directly over to Teams.
Those who don’t want to make the move to teams can simply export their Skype data in a separate download.
Skype will officially shut down on May 5, Microsoft said.
The service was first released in August 2003 with the goal of introducing a cheap voice call system to personal computers. It was later purchased by eBay in 2005, before its sale to Microsoft.
