msn messanger set to be killed off

by Samt03 Fri Nov 09, 2012 1:32 am

Since I know a lot of people here use msn to chat I'm posting this story here.

Microsoft dumps Messenger for Skype

Microsoft is discontinuing its Live Messenger service and will be integrating it with Skype.

Microsoft has announced it is discontinuing its Live Messenger service and will be integrating it with the internet telephone service Skype.

Tuesday’s news was not a surprise considering the company had already bought up the popular VoIP service last spring.

The news first came through Skype’s CEO Tony Bates who said that Messenger will be retired in all countries in the first quarter of 2013, except in mainland China where Messenger will still be available.

“We want to focus our efforts on making things simpler for our users while continuously improving the overall experience,” wrote Bates in a blog post.

Windows Live Messenger launched in 1999 with a text messaging system. Eventually, it added photo delivery, video calls and games.

Messenger has about 100 million users while Skype boasts about 663 million users worldwide who make voice and video calls over the internet. The amount of calling on Skype's network totalled 207 billion minutes last year, according to regulatory documents.

Users of both services will be able to merge their accounts and contact list – only those who use the Microsoft service will be required to make the transition.

The migration to Skype is helped by the fact the service offers broader support for all platforms including Android tablets and iPad, video well as calling landlines and mobile phones. An average of about 8.8 million customers per month pay to use Skype services.

Skype users can also share screens, video call with friends on Facebook in addition to making group video calls.

In October, Skype began testing ways for users to sign in using their Windows Live account.

Messenger users are being asked to download Skype 6.0.

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/11/06/microsoft-skype-messenger.html

by melodiccolor Fri Nov 09, 2012 6:27 pm

Ah, there's the confirmation; I'd been looking earlier in the week and saw nothing.

I guess we'll have to get used to skype's more primitieve chatbox in place of msn.

by melodiccolor Sun Nov 11, 2012 4:11 pm

Some more information confirming when msn is ended: http://www.zdnet.com/microsofts-aggressive-grand-plan-for-merging-skype-and-messenger-takes-shape-7000006991/

by frmthhrt Tue Nov 13, 2012 12:21 am

I am sooo tired of Microsoft obsoleting things, killing things off, and just generally being dicks! I've been an MSN and Hotmail user forever...but they killed the blog I used; they keep making Hotmail worse...and it's pretty much to the point where this is the last straw! I am going to have to say enough is enough and boycott Microsoft like I have with Apple. There are alternatives, and Skype is not it.