By Hafsa Rizvi 

After 20 years of global video calls, Microsoft officially announced Skype's retirement in May 2025. Launched in 2003 and widely used for international calls, especially among migrant families and students, Skype quickly became a household name. But with changing times, better competition, and Microsoft's strategic shift to Teams, the era of Skype has officially come to an end.

A Tech Giant's Exit

When Estonian developers Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis created Skype in 2003, few could have predicted its global impact. The revolutionary platform turned expensive international phone calls into free computer-to-computer conversations, bringing families and businesses closer across borders. By 2011, when Microsoft acquired it for $8.5 billion, Skype had become synonymous with video calling itself, with over 100 million active monthly users worldwide.

In Sri Lanka, Skype arrived at a crucial time, offering an affordable lifeline for communication when international call rates were prohibitively expensive. It wasn't uncommon to see internet cafés advertising "Skype Booths" throughout Colombo and other major cities in the late 2000s, where locals could connect with relatives working overseas in the Middle East, Singapore, and beyond.

Microsoft's Role & Teams Takeover

Microsoft's 2011 acquisition of Skype initially brought improvements and wider integration. However, as the tech giant developed Microsoft Teams, originally aimed at business users, Skype's position within the company portfolio became increasingly uncertain.

The COVID-19 pandemic marked a turning point. While Skype usage did surge initially, Microsoft heavily promoted Teams as its flagship communication platform. By 2022, Teams had reached over 270 million monthly active users, eclipsing Skype's user base. Microsoft's announcement confirms what many industry analysts had long suspected – Teams has officially replaced Skype in Microsoft's long-term strategy.

"Microsoft is consolidating its communication offerings around Teams, which offers more integrated features for both personal and professional use," explains Dinesh Perera, IT consultant based in Colombo. "The writing has been on the wall for some time, but this announcement makes it official."

Why Skype Faded

Skype's decline wasn't sudden. The platform faced mounting challenges from nimbler competitors who better adapted to the mobile revolution. WhatsApp simplified video calling on smartphones, while Zoom offered more reliable group calls with user-friendly interfaces.

Skype's unpopular redesigns also alienated longtime users. The 2017 update, which tried to make Skype more like Snapchat with "highlights" and a colourful interface, was particularly criticised for complicating what users loved most – simple, reliable calling.

Technical issues also plagued the platform, with calls dropping more frequently than competitors, especially on lower-bandwidth connections common throughout Sri Lanka's developing internet infrastructure.

The Lankan Connection

For Sri Lankans, Skype holds a special place in the country's digital evolution. During the 2004 tsunami relief efforts, Skype became an essential tool for coordinating international aid and connecting separated families. Later, during the final phases of the civil war, the platform helped diaspora communities maintain contact with relatives in affected areas.

For many Sri Lankan families with children studying abroad, particularly in countries like Russia, China, and Eastern Europe, Skype became a cherished weekly ritual. Before Skype, many families could only afford monthly international calls due to prohibitive costs.

The platform played an equally vital role for Sri Lanka's growing freelancer community. Many software developers, writers, and digital artists secured their first international clients through Skype interviews. For many of us entering the global remote work market in the early 2010s, Skype changed our career trajectories.

During the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020-2021, Skype experienced a brief renaissance among older Sri Lankans who were already familiar with the platform, using it for everything from family gatherings to religious ceremonies when physical meetings were impossible.

What Users Should Do Now
Microsoft has advised Skype users to transition to Microsoft Teams before May 2025. Here's what Sri Lankan users should know:

• Export your data: Users can download their message history, contacts, and files from Skype settings before the shutdown.
• Switch platforms: Microsoft Teams is the official replacement, available for free download on both computers and mobile devices. Users can sign in with their existing Microsoft accounts.
• Consider alternatives: WhatsApp, Zoom, Google Meet, and FaceTime (for Apple users) all offer viable alternatives depending on your specific needs.
• Business users: Companies using Skype for Business have already been migrating to Teams as Microsoft ended support for Skype for Business in 2021.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka has also advised users to ensure they have alternative communication methods in place well before the shutdown date.

The End of an Era

As Skype prepares to make its final call, it leaves behind a transformed communications landscape. The blue-and-white interface that once represented technological progress will soon exist only in screenshots and memories.

Skype may be retiring, but its legacy remains in every video call we make today. As Sri Lanka increasingly embraces digital communication, with high-speed fibre connections reaching more homes and 5G networks expanding across the island, the platform's story reminds us of how far we've come and what lies ahead.

For many Sri Lankans who first experienced the magic of seeing distant loved ones through a computer screen, Skype will always represent that first digital bridge that made the world a little smaller and families separated by oceans feel a little closer.