Washington: Launched in 2003 by Niklas Zennström from Sweden and Janus Friis from Denmark, Skype revolutionized global communication by offering free voice and video calls over the internet. Based in Luxembourg, the platform quickly gained popularity—especially for international calls—by offering an affordable alternative to traditional phone services.

In 2011, Microsoft acquired Skype for $8.5 billion and began integrating it deeply into its suite of products, from Windows to Office. Despite this push, Skype struggled to keep up with rising competition from more mobile-friendly and user-centric platforms like Zoom, WhatsApp, and Microsoft’s own Teams.

After more than two decades of service, Microsoft announced today that Skype will cease operations effective immediately, drawing the curtain on a tech pioneer that helped define the early age of internet communication.