Microsoft ditches Windows Live Messenger for Skype

[Detective Shadzter]

6 November 2012 Last updated at 20:15

Microsoft ditches Windows Live Messenger for Skype

Microsoft has announced it intends to "retire" its instant message chat tool and replace it with Skype's messaging tool.

The news comes 18 months after the software giant announced it was paying $8.5bn (£5.3bn) for the communications software developer.

Microsoft said Windows Live Messenger (WLM) would be turned off by March 2013 worldwide, with the exception of China.

It reflects the firm's determination to focus its efforts on Skype.

WLM launched in 1999 when it was known as MSN Messenger. Over time, photo delivery, video calls and games were added to the package's text-based messages.

In 2009, the firm said it had 330 million active users.

Chat 'cannibalisation'

According to internet analysis firm Comscore, WLM still had more than double the number of Skype's instant messenger facility at the start of this year and was second only in popularity to Yahoo Messenger.

But the report suggested WLM's US audience had fallen to 8.3 million unique users, representing a 48% drop year-on-year. By contrast, the number of people using Skype to instant message each other grew over the period.

"When a company has competing products that can result in cannibalisation it's often better to focus on a single one," said Brian Blau from the consultancy Gartner.

"Skype's top-up services offer the chance to monetise its users and Microsoft is also looking towards opportunities in the living room.

"Messenger doesn't seem like an appropriate communications platform for TVs or the firm's Xbox console - but Skype does."

He also noted that the firm had opted to integrate Skype into its new Windows Phone 8 smartphone software, eclipsing the effort to integrate WLM into the message threads of the operating system' previous version.

To ease the changeover, Microsoft is offering a tool to migrate WLM messenger contacts over.

The risk is that the move encourages users to switch instead to rival platforms such as WhatsApp Messenger, AIM or Google Talk.

But Microsoft is at least partially protected by its tie-up with Facebook last year. Skype video calls are now offered as an extra to the social network's own instant messaging tool.

http://www.bbc.co.uk..._medium=twitter

I was hooked on this all through my teen years, but I went off it a few years back and have been using Facebook and Twitter since. It was great for its time, but I guess it's redundant now and it was bound to be closed sooner or later.

[Tornado]

Just add it up to the list of programs Microsoft can't justify keeping up development for anymore, as alternatives become more and more feature-enriched and user-friendly. That's similar to why they stripped DVD playback from fresh copies of Windows 8.

[Wentos]

It's really about time. I cringe every time someone says they still use MSN, even worse if it's the only chat they use. I couldn't possibly imagine what it has over Skype, and obviously neither could Microsoft.

Edited November 6, 2012 by KatamariParadox

[Prince Manic the Hedgehog]

Let it die I hated it all together Skype is far more better then that Messenger heck I used the Mac Version of it and it sucked badly! I like Skype more then this piece of junk! As long the Skype Dev Team makes updates I'll continue to use Skype more, now tell me when was an update to Live Messenger?

[Shane]

Finally.

[Cola]

Well, I should probably recover my password. I have a few pals on there that I haven't been in touch with for a while, and I don't wanna lose them.

[Semi-colon e]

I spent years on MSN. Years. This would be more heartbreaking if firstly I didn't stop using it a while ago and secondly if it didn't become cluttered with so much crap on there that there's no point using it anymore. Not that I use Skype either, though.

[Blue Blood]

Well, I can't say I'm not disappointed by this. I use it quite a lot still to talk to people who don't use anything else. It's gotten consistently more bothersome over the years what with all the ads and 'features' getting in the way, but it's an everyday program for me. Oh well...

[Andrew Albacia]

Well, I can't say I'm not disappointed by this. I use it quite a lot still to talk to people who don't use anything else. It's gotten consistently more bothersome over the years what with all the ads and 'features' getting in the way, but it's an everyday program for me. Oh well...

Pretty much.

I use both frequently as not all of my contacts are in the same place. I actually stopped using Skype because of the constant calls that came in on it. My feelings are mixed. So long as I can recover or transfer my contacts it's fine but not having the option is kind of lame after so long.

[Badnik Mechanic]

Urm but... I still use it.

In fact I'm using it right now... as I'm typing. I have skype but just don't really use it other than for TSS super secret meetings that we... urm... .. .. .. well it's a secret!

Do you get email alerts on skype when you get emails? Only without MSN I really don't know what I'm going to do for notifications... yes I am that much of a novice when it comes to skype.

[Andrew Albacia]

Urm but... I still use it.

In fact I'm using it right now... as I'm typing. I have skype but just don't really use it other than for TSS super secret meetings that we... urm... .. .. .. well it's a secret!

We're old people now, Hog. Adapt or die!

[Solkia]

Good, maybe my friend will fucking get on Skype finally.

[Badnik Mechanic]

We're old people now, Hog. Adapt or die!

But I don't want to adapt! I want to yell at how easy kids have it these days! Marching around... YOUNG! Touching the new things! All of em, gabbering on, on their, walky talkies!

*sits in a rocking chair muttering about the good old days*

Seriously though... if I get an email at my hotmail account... is there any function on skype to say 'you have an email'?

[Ming Ming Hatsune]

The risk is that the move encourages users to switch instead to rival platforms such as WhatsApp Messenger, AIM or Google Talk.

Hahaha, no. Users won't switch to AIM or Google Talk as they are worse. Google+ with Hangouts will even be a better contestant than Google Talk...

Whatsapp Messenger can only be used in phones with an active phone number and that's it...you can't use Whatsapp on a PC or Mac...

Also AIM is dead, more dead than MSN.

The real rivals for MSN are Facebook Chat and Skype (which MS owns).

Edited November 6, 2012 by Ming Ming Shana

[Badnik Mechanic]

Hahaha, no. Users won't switch to AIM or Google Talk as they are worse. Google+ with Hangouts will even be a better contestant than Google Talk...

You say that though, but if it wasn't for people here and for the fact we have our meetings on skype. Personally, I'd probably go back to Yahoo Messenger.

Back in the day, you probably had msn or yahoo, if not both. I suspect as unpopular as my stance is here, there are probably thousands if not millions of people like me, who just use msn to talk to one or two people. Depending how 'scary' skype looks, I bet they'd go for ones which are 'like' msn.

[Andrew Albacia]

You say that though, but if it wasn't for people here and for the fact we have our meetings on skype. Personally, I'd probably go back to Yahoo Messenger.

Back in the day, you probably had msn or yahoo, if not both. I suspect as unpopular as my stance is here, there are probably thousands if not millions of people like me, who just use msn to talk to one or two people. Depending how 'scary' skype looks, I bet they'd go for ones which are 'like' msn.

For the most part I agree and I have had Skype running alongside MSN since inception. Mostly treating it as an audio thing. I've used it as a text messenger too but usually only if the person didn't have MSN. I have family members that probably don't know what Skype is. I use MSN every day to keep up with people. Skype just has a few randoms.

...and I still call it MSN XD

Also, Facebook chat is horrendous. Just because someone from school added me does not mean I desire a conversation with them. That thing will always be offline for me

[Urban Flow]

I like MSN been using it for a while....skype is cool and all too I guess. Kinda sucks to see MSN go but oh well.

[Ferno]

I did use MSN and Aim a few years back, but I can't say that I even use them anymore these days, especially since I've moved on to Skype.

Seems like a decent move by Microsoft, but I'll admit that I'll miss MSN a little.

[Ming Ming Hatsune]

You say that though, but if it wasn't for people here and for the fact we have our meetings on skype. Personally, I'd probably go back to Yahoo Messenger.

Back in the day, you probably had msn or yahoo, if not both. I suspect as unpopular as my stance is here, there are probably thousands if not millions of people like me, who just use msn to talk to one or two people. Depending how 'scary' skype looks, I bet they'd go for ones which are 'like' msn.

I used to love MSN and AIM and I did use them I admit it. But then, my friends ditched them both for Skype and Facebook. So I had no choice but to move on to Facebook.

And I didn't say no one will go back to Yahoo Messenger after this. I said Google Talk and AIM. I don't know anyone who uses Google Talk (I know some who use Google+ though) and AIM is dead. They have to rely on Facebook Chat and other services to keep its own service alive.

[C.J]

I used to be active on MSN years ago, I really liked it but I stopped using it a while ago after many features got in the way, I went off it and then eventually moved to Facebook. It was great back then, part of me will miss it but I think this is probably for the best.

Edited November 6, 2012 by C.J

[KrazyBean]

So...are we gonna have Skype functionality for the next Xbox? That would be awesome using Skype for online communication during online multiplayer, considering how clear it is.

[Diz]

I have been using Windows Live/MSN Messenger for many years, in fact almost ever since I started venturing online. I do have Skype, but to be honest, I always preferred the way MSN looks and feels. I also felt it was easier to manage, more obvious notifications as to who sends you messages, the windows and all that, while I feel Skype has none of it. Skype also just seems to bundle every notification, like group chats, private chats and the like. This may be influenced by me putting myself as Busy all the time, but that's just to stop all the constant confusing notifications that are going on in my Skype.

It will definitely be sad to see its current state cease, but I am also excited to try out the merged version.

[Blue Wisp]

I'll be honest, never thought this could happen. But oh wow, Microsoft really gave up now. Eh I prefer Skype anyway.

[Autosaver]

People still use AIM?

[Lady Soniko]

Fuck sake, MSN is my main means of contact, this blows, i hate Skype, i fucking Loathe it.

I know MSN is fucking shit now because of the crap Microsoft keep adding to it, hell you can't change your screen name any more, but i'm not changing it, i'll stick with version 7, and when tech wizzes create some form to keep it running, because i have over 800 contacts on my list and i'm not going to import them all over to skype thank you.