[Software] Windows 11 will not have Skype installed as standard

[SougarLord]

 

Skype will not be standard in Windows 11 and that says a lot

The Skype app will continue to be available for Windows 11 through the Microsoft Store, but the decision to remove it from the list of preloaded software in the operating system speaks volumes about the trajectory of the service. Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011 for $ 8.5 billion, but little by little it has been growing strong criticism for the decision to prioritize new features over call quality, something in which Discord has surpassed it.

 

During the pandemic, Skype has played a secondary role in Microsoft's new flagship collaboration platform, Teams. But this has been expected for years. In the summer of 2019, Microsoft announced that it would retire Skype for Business Online by July 31, 2021. The consumer-centric service will continue to be available, but business customers with the exception of local Skype for Business customers will be forced to to migrate to Microsoft Teams.

 

Microsoft has done everything possible to encourage companies to make the change sooner rather than later, implementing new functionality and performance enhancements unique to Teams. The decision to remove Skype from Windows 11 is the next logical step in this process, giving customers one less reason to use Skype in Teams.

 

Microsoft is also expected to replace the Skype Meet Now feature with a similar Teams-centric tool in Windows 11, called Meet and Chat. This feature will allow users to access Teams channels and video conferencing from a button on the taskbar.