Skype: is this the beginning of the end?

Microsoft Windows has announced that the new Windows 11 operating system might mean the end for Skype.

Well before Zoom, Microsoft’s Skype was the big name in video-calling software. But a recent announcement might indicate that the app is on its last leg.

Microsoft announced its new Windows 11 operating system will be replacing the video calling software with Microsoft Teams as the default.

“Microsoft has been moving beyond Skype for several years now, with Teams being its strategic voice and video technology for the new era,” explained Angela Ashenden, an analyst at CCS Insight.

So does this mean Skype is gone for good?

Users will still be able to access the video calling software, but they will have to find it in the Microsoft store like any other app.

A company spokesperson told The Verge: “Skype is no longer an inbox app for new devices that run Windows 11. The app is available to download through the Microsoft Store for free.”

This comes as a surprise for many after Microsoft praised the app saying: “For folks that just want a very purpose-built app, Skype is a great solution, and we support it and encourage it.”

A decade ago Microsoft acquired the app for $8.5 billion

At the time, it was Microsoft’s biggest-ever acquisition. Despite concerns the tech giant was over-paying, the app was widely established.

At the time of acquisition, 1 billion users had downloaded Skype.

“Together we will create the future of real-time communications,” Microsoft chief Steve Balmer projected.