Get ready to say goodbye to Skype (if you haven't already)

Before VoIP communication turned mainstream, Skype was a pioneer of the technology. Launching back in 2003 it became the go to application for people wanting to make calls over the internet and contact phone numbers from their computer.

Since then it's had something of a checkered history. It was bought by eBay for $2.6 billion in 2005 before Microsoft snapped it up for $8.5 billion in 2011 as a replacement for Live Messenger.

Attempts to integrate it with Windows 10 were short-lived and since other tools tools like Zoom have gained traction Skype has been left looking rather unloved with even Microsoft putting more effort into promoting Teams which it launched in 2017. Although Teams was initially aimed at businesses a personal version launched in 2020 which put it and Skype on an inevitable collision course.

Microsoft stopped the sale of Skype credits at the end of last year in favor of subscriptions, another sign that the old Skype model was on the way out.

Now though the writing is definitely on the wall -- or more accurately in the code -- for Skype. Tech website XDA has revealed that the latest Skype for Windows preview code contains a message that says, "Starting in May, Skype will no longer be available. Continue your calls and chats in Teams."

Jeff Teper, president of Microsoft 365 collaborative apps and platforms, told The Verge that users will be able to migrate their Skype conversations and contacts. He also said there will be a tool to view Skype chat history for those who don't want to migrate to Teams.

So look out for those messages popping up in Skype soon and be prepared to say goodbye. We doubt it'll be missed all that much. After all, can you remember when you last made a Skype call? No, neither can we.

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