What happened to Skype, the first ‘star’ among video conferencing applications?

Once known as one of the most relevant online communication platforms, Skype still exists but is far from having the same level of importance. The application was: almost swallowed by competition and cannibalized by other Microsoft products.

THE Skype scrapping process has been going on for years and the fact that it still exists may come as a surprise to you. In fact, most of the service has been stopped, but the application for the end consumer is still active and available.

Want to understand how Skype survives despite competing for space with many other similar and better services? Understand more below.

Birth of Skype

Skype was released in 2003, developed by Niklas Zennstrom, Janus Friis and four other co-developers. Since its establishment, Application-supported communication over the internet using the P2P (Peer-to-Peer) protocol.

In 2005, platform acquired by eBay for approximately US$2.6 billion. Years later, in 2009, 65% of the platform was sold to investment management companies.

Then it was time for Microsoft to acquire Skype Communications, owner of Skype, and its platform in 2011 for US$8.5 billion. The acquisition was completed in October of that year, and soon after the service began to be integrated into the Skype ecosystem company. different ways.

Skype’s proposition was simple: allow people to communicate via text, voice or video messaging over the internet; This was something other platforms were also doing at the time. But the standout feature of the platform was its ease of use and interoperability between systems, which ensured a significant market position and longevity.

THE Use of P2P protocol for real-time communication reduced significant costs in operating the service. This way, consumers will be able to chat directly with other people without having to connect to a public server.

website statistics Skype was estimated to have 400 million registered users in 2009. This number will reach 2.27 billion in 2024, but this total is disputed as the number of accounts does not directly represent the usage of the platform.

Skype has gone through numerous transformations and additions over the years of its existence. At some point, the service took over from Windows Live Messenger (MSN’s successor) and became Microsoft’s main communications offering. The same happened in 2014, when Lync was replaced by Skype for Business, a branch focused on enterprise communications.

Versions of Skype have been released for major Microsoft platforms and products. The app is available for Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, iPadOS, HoloLens, Xbox One and more.

fierce competition

Over the years, more companies began offering communications services, some of which were on par, if not better, than Skype. Although platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Slack were not developed in their first years, they sometimes offered possibilities and functions that the Microsoft representative did not have.

THE Integration with the Microsoft ecosystem and Windows was the main advantage of SkypeHowever, the company’s mistakes affected the platform. For example, the complicated launch of Windows 8 did nothing to popularize the platform and may even have scared off older consumers who saw that the application was installed on their computers by default, but with a completely different and more confusing interface.

Through various updates and visual redesigns, Skype failed to deliver a more modern look and ultimately became dissatisfied with users. The revisions were sometimes criticized for excessive menus, difficulty performing basic tasks, and negative effects on the quality of the overall experience.

Over time, these embezzlements gave way to simpler solutions that met the needs of certain segments of the community. For example, Discord, Slack and Zoom emerged, meeting the demands of different audiences much more efficiently.

left aside

Even the urgent need to use digital communication tools during the Covid-19 pandemic was not enough to save Skype. In that case, Other services like Zoom and Google Meet have taken over a large share of the market.

Even Microsoft seemed uninterested in the product: In 2016, the company launched Microsoft TeamsOnline communication platform for companies. The service existed alongside Skype for Business for a long time, but did almost the same thing for the same audience.

It’s not that popular anymore, Skype had 40 million daily active usersMicrosoft announced in 2020. The number was falling rapidly and the following years were even worse.

Then in 2021 the first part of Skype dies: Skype for Business. The service was discontinued by the company and removed from Microsoft’s suite of applications, leaving Microsoft Teams as the company’s main alternative.

Windows 11 debut

That same year, Microsoft released Windows 11, another version of one of its flagship products. However, the operating system did not highlight Skype, but its internal rival Teams.

The corporate communications service was advertised in a strange way, Now also useful for chatting with friends and family. Native integration with the operating system promised more convenient messaging.

Although it is also installed by default in Windows 11, Skype is far from having the same prominence as its little brother.

Despite being forgotten, Skype continued to receive updates and visual revisions. For example, an update in December 2022 saw a redesign of the service and, of course, it also gained native integration with Microsoft Copilot.

The future of Skype is uncertain, but Microsoft tends to be more resistant to abandoning products. For now the service is still alive, but what was it? When was the last time you called someone using the platform?