Canonical Entity Identification

• Canonical name: Skype
• Aliases: Skype consumer service
• Entity type: Communication service and software product
• Temporal coverage: 2003 to 5 May 2025 for the consumer service
• Primary geography: Global, including Indonesia
• Current archival assessment: Retired consumer service as of 5 May 2025; Skype for Business is a separate product
• Source confidence: High

Historical Overview

Skype was a major internet communication service for messaging, voice calls, and video calls. Microsoft officially retired the consumer Skype service on 5 May 2025 and directed users toward Microsoft Teams Free. This record therefore archives a retired service, not an active global consumer platform.

Timeline

• 2003: Skype launched.
• 2011: Microsoft announced its acquisition of Skype.
• 5 May 2025: Microsoft retired the consumer Skype service.
• June 2026: the extended deadline for exporting Skype data ended, according to the updated Microsoft support notice.

Digital Footprint Record

• Official Microsoft retirement support notice.
• Legacy Skype domains, software references, help documents, and archived media coverage.
• Migration relationship from Skype consumer accounts and history to Microsoft Teams Free under stated conditions.

Continuity and Change Factors

This archive distinguishes company continuity, brand continuity, product continuity, platform continuity, and publication-format continuity. A product shutdown does not automatically mean the company is defunct, and a discontinued print edition does not automatically mean the digital publication is inactive.

Entity Status Assessment

The status above is a time-bounded archival assessment, not a permanent label. It must be revised when a primary source, official publication, regulatory filing, operating website, or credible current report shows a material change.

Entity Relationships

• Skype ownedBy Microsoft.
• Skype consumer service transitionedTo Microsoft Teams Free for supported migration paths.
• Skype for Business distinctFrom the retired consumer Skype service.

References and Provenance

• Microsoft Support, Skype retirement notice: Official retirement date and data-export update.
• Microsoft Support, English version: Official service transition information.

Archival Notes and Limitations

• This record is about the consumer Skype service. It does not classify Skype for Business as retired.
• Feature availability and data migration differed by account activity and product type.

Archival Classification

• Record class: Canonical entity record
• Review date: July 2026
• Correction route: Correction Policy
• Method: Archive Methodology

Analisis arsip terkait: Skype Ditutup, Microsoft Tetap Berjalan: Service Retirement Bukan Company Closure (subjectOf / updatesStatusOf).