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Say Goodbye to Skype (It’s Been Fun)

Preferred Blog Technology

Vince Arden

Wednesday, March 19 2025

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Skype, once a popular and beloved video chat platform, has reached the end of its rope (in a manner of speaking). Microsoft is discontinuing the 20-year-old communication application, instead focusing its efforts on Microsoft Teams. The last update to Skype will be on May 5, but that doesn’t change the impact Skype had on the development of modern communication tools.

Teams Really is Replacing Skype

Microsoft is enabling Skype users to import their communications, including chats, contacts, photos, call history, and so on, all to the Teams platform, effectively preserving and replacing it at the same time.

This will occur based on a pop-up that Microsoft has added to Skype; you can watch this YouTube video for a look at it.

But Why?

The one big reason why Skype is disappearing is because all the other tools it inspired have surpassed it.

Skype was founded in 2003, then acquired by Microsoft in 2011 as a part of its efforts to expand its enterprise collaboration solutions. During this time, it also acquired Bing to help out its new Windows Phone 7 OS (look how far that went). Microsoft then completed a rebrand of its existing communication platform, Lync, as Skype for Business, and bundled it with Office until 2021, when it was discontinued.

Unfortunately for Skype enthusiasts (we know you’re out there… we think), its time has come to join the ever-growing list of discontinued software.

Skype is a Reminder of IT’s Ugly Truths

No software lasts forever, and it’s beneficial to keep an eye on new technology innovations, even if they will eventually fade with time.

Technology by nature will grow outdated with time, so you should expect improvements, updates, and changes to happen while you’re going about your business–whether you’re ready or not. You should always be ready to adjust your technology plans according to what big software developers like Microsoft are planning for widely-used solutions. Thankfully, we can help make any new adjustments easy with our managed IT services.

To learn more about how Preferred can support your business’ IT, contact us at 708-781-7110 today.

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About the author

Vince Arden

Vince Arden is the founder and President of Preferred Communication Systems. He is a graduate of DeVry University with over 30 years of experience in the IT industry. In addition to providing leadership in sales, marketing, project management, and service delivery at Preferred, Vince provides Virtual CIO-level services for the 4th-largest Realtor Association in the nation and to an Inc. 500 fastest growing company. He has been interviewed by industry publications like Redmond magazine, CRN News, and Continuum for his expertise related to cloud computing and the managed IT services industry. He also lends his voice as a contributing author for the Cloud Business Review.

His core purpose is to, "Help people achieve their greatest potential in work and L.I.F.E." He passionately works toward making this a reality in every aspect of life, including his areas of expertise, such as thought leadership, ideation, communication, team building, and Servant Leadership. Vince models building strong relationships, both with his team at Preferred and with his clients. He strives to build a network of people he can embolden to work smarter, so that they may ultimately be able to live better.

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