# Skype

> Skype built a global communications business around free internet calls, paid connections to ordinary phones, and video chat for families and businesses. Founded in 2003 and acquired by Microsoft in 2011, its consumer service retired on May 5, 2025, with Microsoft directing users to Teams Free.

- **Founded:** 2003
- **Headquarters:** Redmond, United States
- **Founders:** Niklas Zennström (Co-founder and original CEO), Janus Friis (Co-founder), Ahti Heinla (Founding engineer), Priit Kasesalu (Founding engineer), Jaan Tallinn (Founding engineer), Toivo Annus (Founding engineering team leader)
- **Products:** Skype internet calling and messaging, SkypeOut / Skype Credit, Skype Number, Skype Translator, Meet Now
- **Notable:** Helped establish free cross-border internet calling as a consumer habit., Handled more than 207 billion voice and video minutes in 2010., Acquired by Microsoft in a transaction announced at US$8.5 billion in 2011.

## Products & services

- **Skype internet calling and messaging** — Free app-to-app voice and video calls, group conversations, instant messages and file sharing; the consumer service retired May 5, 2025.
- **SkypeOut / Skype Credit** — Historical pay-as-you-go calling to landlines and mobile phones, with destination-dependent charges; no longer sold to new customers.
- **Skype Number** — A paid local telephone number for receiving calls through Skype; Microsoft says all Skype Number subscriptions ended in May 2026.
- **Skype Translator** — Speech and text translation inside conversations; the public preview began with English-Spanish speech translation in December 2014.
- **Meet Now** — A free meeting-link experience that allowed guests to join without an account or app download; described by Microsoft in March 2020.

## Achievements

- Helped establish free cross-border internet calling as a consumer habit.
- Handled more than 207 billion voice and video minutes in 2010.
- Acquired by Microsoft in a transaction announced at US$8.5 billion in 2011.
- Expanded Skype Translator to six spoken languages and 50 messaging languages in the October 2015 Windows desktop rollout.

## Latest updates

- **2025-02** — Microsoft announced consumer Skype would retire in May and directed users toward Teams Free.
- **2025-05** — Consumer Skype retired on May 5; the announcement did not retire Skype for Business.
- **2026-01** — Microsoft’s OfficeDev/skype-docs GitHub repository was archived on January 7.
- **2026-05** — Microsoft’s current support notice says all Skype Number subscriptions ended in May 2026.
- **2026-06** — The Skype history export-request deadline stated in current Microsoft support documentation was June 15, 2026; that deadline has passed.

## Links

- Website: https://www.skype.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skype/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/Skype
- GitHub: https://github.com/OfficeDev/skype-docs
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Skype
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skype/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Skype/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/skype
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-16