Are you ready? Messenger merges with Skype
By now you probably already know that Microsoft Messenger is going away in favor of uber-communication app Skype, which Microsoft purchased back in 2011 for a whopping $8.5 billion. The app, released back in 2003, is slowly being merged into Microsoft products. In fact, the latest iteration of Office, 365 Home Premium, comes with free Skype minutes as part of the package.
Today is that day when Messenger officially merges with Skype. Until now, users had the option, strongly urged by Microsoft, to make this move on their own. That no longer is just an option. The company sent out a warning email back on March 21.
As you may have heard, starting April 8th, 2013 we are bringing the great features of Messenger and Skype together, including your IM and contact list. (April 8th is the first day that you may be required to upgrade to Skype).
We know saying goodbye can be hard, but don't worry. Not only will all your Messenger contacts appear in Skype when you upgrade and sign-in, but you can also redeem a free welcome gift. Follow the instructions below to enjoy calls to landlines and mobiles around the world, group video calling, group screen sharing (and more) absolutely free for a month. We want to thank you for being a Messenger customer and even more, are excited to welcome you to Skype!
Messenger has had a long run, having been around since 1999, but today the official obituary can be written. This is just one more part of the massive scaling down Microsoft is doing with its Live suite of apps, which are now known simply as Windows Essentials.
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