Millennials, we all have bitter, sweet memories associated with Skype. Whether it was a time to connect with your friends and family or to organize office meetups, Skype was our good old friend. But it is time to put this old friend to rest as Microsoft has announced to shut down this once-dominant video calling platform. It will close its curtains on May 5th after over two decades. Yes, users, it’s time to move on to ‘Microsoft Teams’, Microsoft’s unified communication and collaboration platform.
Are you feeling nostalgic already? Are your ears buzzing already with its signature ringing and connecting sounds? Wait, let Corporate Soldiers stir up all those memories even more!
How Skype Became A Misfit?
It was the year 2003 when Sype was launched and soon became popular among people worldwide. It transformed our lives and the art of connecting together to communicate. Skype was a sigh of relief and became a way to connect people across distances. All those long-term relationships seemed to be working through those hours-long video calls. Also, it made international communication more affordable. When Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011 for a whopping amount of $8.5 billion, Skype aimed to compete with emerging messaging services.
But even after numerous redesigns, feature additions like Skype Clips, and even the integration of Copilot AI, Skype struggled to maintain its dominance as it did in the past. Reason? We, millennials all outgrew it because it was a competitive market. For us, it became a matter of coping up and learning new advanced things to be in touch with the transforming era. And that’s is how exactly now we are bidding our good old friend a goodbye. It’s the matter of convenience once again, right?
But what exactly was the reason for Skype’s decline? The rise of mobile-first messaging apps and the growing popularity of Microsoft Teams. Yes! Microsoft’s own platform led to Skype’s gradual decline and that’s exactly how Skype became a misfit.
Time For Microsoft Teams!
We have good old memories associated with Skype just like all those millions of millennials. But it’s the time to adapt ourselves to new technologies and Microsoft Teams is the exact answer now. Even Microsoft, itself, is encouraging Skype users to switch to Teams. It’s like a final call before bidding the goodbye. Microsoft has been elaborating on how easy the migration process would be for all of you Skype users. No clue yet? Then you might have to pay attention to this my friend because it is actually easy. The news is that soon, users will be able to sign into Teams using their Skype credentials, automatically transferring their chats and contacts. Let Corporate Soldiers spill the beans how will it be-
- Skype users, it will be an automatic migration, which means your chats and contacts will be automatically migrated to Teams upon login. So, you don’t have to make extra effort for this.
- You will have the right to continued communication which means if you are a Teams user, you can still call and chat with Skype users until the shutdown date.
- Skype loyal? Don’t worry, if you wish not to migrate to teams, you, the users can still export your chat history, contacts, and call logs.
- Also, current subscribers can use their Skype Credits and subscriptions until their next renewal period.
- There is one more thing! Your ‘Skype Dial Pad’ will remain accessible to paid users through the Skype web portal and within the Teams app.
Millennials- Still Don’t Understand What Was The Need?
Millennials, we know that you hate to adapt to so many things over and over again. But this is what you are doing since the beginning of era, right? Many millennials asked the same question as it is hovering on your mind, ‘What was the need?’ ‘We were happy with Skype, even if its outdated.’ Let us answer it for you. As Microsoft has elaborated that Teams is the need of hour. It is the need of modern communication. It is advanced than your regular Skype as Microsoft Team makes easy collaboration and integration across various platforms and devices. Microsoft Teams has a suite of features beyond video calling, including file sharing, task management, and project collaboration tools. Is your Skype able to do that? The answer is simple, no. Now, many of you would say that to make Skype do all that, why Teams? Alas! Sorry, millennials, the answer lies with Microsoft.
Our Letter For Skype and Millennials!
Dear Millennials,
How have you been? We know it’s been a roller coaster ride for you with all those ups and downs, and emerging trends as you grew up. It’s not easy to adapt and cope, but my friends, you did it all with all your might. We know Skype holds so many memories for you and a special place in the hearts of many of us. But the time is changing. Let us remember Skype as a pioneer in the world of online communication. It is time for departure and let us all put Skype to rest. Embrace the memories and switch to new emerging technologies.
Warm Hugs,
Team, Corporate Soldiers.
