Core Viewpoint - Microsoft officially shuts down Skype, marking the end of its 20-year operation history, with core functionalities being migrated to another communication software promoted by Microsoft [1][2]. Group 1: Skype's Historical Context - Skype was initially a free online calling tool, with its name derived from "sky peer to peer," reflecting its VoIP technology [1]. - By 2004, Skype had 11 million registered users, which grew to 54 million by 2005 when eBay announced its acquisition for $2.6 billion [1]. - At the time of acquisition, Skype projected annual revenue of $60 million, primarily from user fees for calls to mobile and landlines [1]. Group 2: Competitive Landscape - The rise of Apple's iMessage and FaceTime, Facebook's acquisition of WhatsApp, and the success of Tencent's WeChat contributed to Skype's decline [2]. - Despite a surge in video call demand during the pandemic benefiting competitors like Zoom and Google Meet, Skype's popularity has waned [2]. - Microsoft has invested heavily in Teams, which offers similar services to Skype, further impacting Skype's user base [2]. Group 3: User Metrics - In 2016, Skype had over 300 million monthly active users, but by 2023, daily active users had decreased to 36 million [2].

Core Insights - Microsoft officially discontinued Skype, transferring its core functionalities to another communication platform, marking the end of Skype's 20-year operational history [1][2] - The closure comes 14 years after Microsoft acquired Skype for $8.5 billion, which was the largest acquisition in Microsoft's history at that time [1][2] - Despite a surge in video call demand during the pandemic benefiting competitors like Zoom and Google Meet, Skype's popularity has declined significantly in recent years [1] Company History - Skype was launched in 2003 in Estonia and quickly became popular for enabling free global calls, especially during a time when international calls were expensive [2] - eBay acquired Skype in 2005 for $2.6 billion, but the partnership failed, leading eBay to sell 65% of its stake for $1.9 billion in 2009 [2] - Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011, and reported that Skype had over 300 million monthly active users in 2016, but by 2023, daily active users had dropped to 36 million [2]