Microsoft to ditch Live Messenger; only continue with Skype as the IM Client

Jan 17, 2013

Microsoft’s MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger were some of the first most widely used IM clients in the earlier days of tech. Then came along Skype and it disrupted the whole space. Now, Skype is replacing the MSN Messenger (or the Windows Live Messenger, as it is called now). It is being sunset, as Skype takes over as the main IM technology from the Microsoft stable.

Windows Live Messenger will officially retire this March, Microsoft announced Tuesday in a mass email to the chat service’s users.

On March 15, all users will be switched over to Skype, which the software giant acquired for $8.5 billion in October 2011.

“We are retiring the existing Messenger service globally … and bringing the great features of Messenger and Skype together,” Microsoft said, adding that Messenger will continue to be available in mainland China. Last November, Skype president Tony Bates confirmed in a blog post that Messenger would be shuttered in the first quarter of 2013.

Microsoft users can upgrade and sign in to Skype using their Microsoft account (formerly known as a “Windows Live ID”).

Do you think it is the right move? Is there anything that you might miss in Skype that you had in Skype? I personally don’t see what someone would miss in Skype that one had in Live Messenger. Skype is a far superior IM client than Live Messenger or even Yahoo Messenger.

Source