discuss Microsoft Strikes Again: Killing off Skype

[Harsh World]

Looks like Microsoft is striking again by killing off the Skype product in favor of Teams.

I just got this email today.

In order to streamline our consumer communications offerings, we will be retiring Skype in May 2025. As part of this change, we want to keep you informed about important updates to your Skype paid services and how these changes may affect you.

I've been using a Skype number for probably close to a decade, if not more now.

Skype Number: Your Skype Number subscription will continue to automatically renew until April 3, 2025 and will remain active until the end of your next renewal period. To port your Skype Number, please contact your new provider directly. Learn more

Thanks for such short notice.

I have about 60 days to port my number over to a VoIP provider and don't even know where to begin, or who could even compete for under $5 a month.

Why does Microsoft always have to be like this?

 

[Lord Severus]

I am actually happy that Skype is being retired.

It was cheap, yes, but it was a very bulky software and couldnt stand the competition from Zoom and Google Meet. Also, it has run its fair share of time in the market and made enough money.

The market is brutal

 

[Cpvr]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1895547634292822052

 

[Lord Severus]

I read in a recent news article that Skype's main vision was to make international calling cheap and accessible to everyone. It was Microsoft's big acquisition that had a value of 7 billion US $.

It had a good run, because, according to the article, its market capital increased to 28 billion US $. It makes sense to wind it down because the operational cost is far too enormous. Understandable.

 

[Harsh World]

It was cheap, yes, but it was a very bulky software and couldnt stand the competition from Zoom and Google Meet. Also, it has run its fair share of time in the market and made enough money.

I agree that the desktop version is bulky, but the mobile version, which I rely on, runs pretty smoothly in the background.

I'm going to have to see if I can port a number over to Zoom or Meet.

I read in a recent news article that Skype's main vision was to make international calling cheap and accessible to everyone. It was Microsoft's big acquisition that had a value of 7 billion US $.

It indeed made it much easier (and cheaper) to call other countries. However, I eventually settled on a Skype number for the countries that I wanted to call, and it was even cheaper.

I don't know of another service where you can have multiple phone numbers in different countries to get "free" calling (not per minute, but per Skype Number subscription, which is generally cheaper if you do frequent calling to that country).

 

[Lord Severus]

Oh. I am not an active subscriber and hence has no idea how the Skype subscription works.

Can you tell me a little about it? Is it that we need to pay for the countries which we are going to connect to or some other model?

 

[Harsh World]

Can you tell me a little about it? Is it that we need to pay for the countries which we are going to connect to or some other model?

It's fairly straightforward if you have a Skype account.

You just login to Skype on the website and click Skype Number. Then, you can purchase a number at a fixed monthly rate, with some countries also charging additional per minute of use. The Skype number redirects all calls to your Skype application as if you're receiving a typical Skype voice/video call. Also, once the number is connected to your account, you have the option to just dial out from Skype.

 

[Lord Severus]

It's fairly straightforward if you have a Skype account.

You just login to Skype on the website and click Skype Number. Then, you can purchase a number at a fixed monthly rate, with some countries also charging additional per minute of use. The Skype number redirects all calls to your Skype application as if you're receiving a typical Skype voice/video call. Also, once the number is connected to your account, you have the option to just dial out from Skype.

So, its more like a e-SIM but. the difference is that the calls are being redirected to the Skype app rather than a full blown telecome service provider.

Would it be right to say that Skype was the first company to build a global voice-over-internet-protocol based calling system?

 

[Harsh World]

So, its more like a e-SIM but. the difference is that the calls are being redirected to the Skype app rather than a full blown telecome service provider.

You could put it that way, yeah.

Would it be right to say that Skype was the first company to build a global voice-over-internet-protocol based calling system?

I don't think Skype was the first. I remember traveling to Japan for the first time in 2006, and there was a service called Vonage. You could order a specific telephone that hooked into your internet - remember, at that time, we were still landline heavy - and received calls just like you would on a landline. The phone model I chose was a wireless phone that needed to be charged on the receiver, but I do believe they had cheaper options with a telephone cord that connected to the headset portion.

The only problem with it was that they didn't ship the units internationally, so I needed to order a phone to my US residence and have someone ship it to me in Japan. From there, it was a pretty simple setup.

It was quite popular with the roommates I had, always wanting to use my phone to call, because I was the first to discover a system like that and had it for a couple of months before others were able to get their own with their own area codes and phone numbers.

Vonage was the first VoIP provider I'm aware of, as I only looked for a service that could do it at that time. However, I could be wrong.

 

[Alamson]

I used Skype for free for a long time. The emergence of Zoom made me abandon it. I think Microsoft made a smart move. Communications technology has been advancing since COVID 19 and I don't see any way Skype could compete with Zoom, Meet and others. Microsoft also did the same with Windows Phone even though I still have one.

 

[Harsh World]

Ever since the announcement of Skype closing down, I've been added to tens of spam groups and have been bombarded with messages about every 2-3 minutes. I'd hate to turn off notifications and miss something important until I find a suitable alternative...

It seems like it's free reign for spammers now cause they're not stopping them as they're winding things down.

 

[Lord Severus]

I used Skype for free for a long time. The emergence of Zoom made me abandon it. I think Microsoft made a smart move. Communications technology has been advancing since COVID 19 and I don't see any way Skype could compete with Zoom, Meet and others. Microsoft also did the same with Windows Phone even though I still have one.

This is very natural with so many technology related products. If they are not able to upgrade the technology and capture the market, then there is no hope for survival.

For example, if you remember, there was Orkut before Facebook came up. FB was so innovative that users instantly migrated resulting in the closure of Orkut as a social media.

 

[Heatman]

Unfortunately, I'm not using Skype that often. It's why I'm not that worried so much about Microsoft's decision to shutdown the app. I know there are some people who will be gravely affected as a result of this but I'm happy not to be among them because looking for alternatives apps is always very frustrating for me.