Microsoft is shutting down Skype, the internet-based phone and video service that was once the dominant way of staying connected in the mid 2000s.

Microsoft正在关闭Skype，这是一种基于互联网的电话和视频服务，曾经是2000年代中期保持联系的主要方式。

Skype will “no longer be available” to use starting in May, the company confirmed on X, telling users that their log-in information can be used on Microsoft Teams’ free tier in the “coming days.”

该公司在X上证实，从5月开始，Skype将“不再可用”，并告诉用户，他们的登录信息可以在“未来几天”用于Microsoft Teams的免费套餐。

Skype’s shutdown comes 14 years after Microsoft bought the service for $8.5 billion in cash, marking the company’s largest ever acquisition at the time. Microsoft integrated the service into its other products, such as Office and its ill-fated mobile operating service Windows Phone.

Skype 的关闭是在Microsoft以85亿美元现金收购该服务14年后发生的，这是该公司当时最大的一笔收购。Microsoft 将该服务集成到其其他产品中，例如Office及其命运多舛的移动运营服务Windows Phone。

“Skypehas been an integral part of shaping modern communications and supporting countless meaningful moments, and we are honored to have been part of the journey,” Jeff Teper, president of Microsoft 365 collaborative apps and platforms, said in a blog post. “We’re excited about the new opportunities that Teams brings and are committed to helping you stay connected in new and meaningful ways.”

“Skype一直是塑造现代通信和支持无数有意义时刻不可或缺的一部分，我们很荣幸能成为这一旅程的一部分，”Microsoft 365协作应用程序和平台总裁Jeff Teper在一篇博客文章中说。“我们对Teams带来的新机会感到兴奋，并致力于帮助您以新的和有意义的方式保持联系。”

Skype’s popularity has faded in recent years, despite a pandemic bounce that lifted other competing products, including Zoom, Google Meet and Cisco Webex. Skype has also faced increased competition over the last decade and a half from apps like Apple’s FaceTime and Meta’s WhatsApp. Plus, Microsoft has been investing heavily in Teams, which offers many of the same services.

近年来，Skype的受欢迎程度已经消退，尽管大流行反弹提升了其他竞争产品，包括 Zoom、Google Meet 和 Cisco Webex。在过去十五年里，Skype还面临着来自苹果 FaceTime 和 Meta WhatsApp等应用程序的日益激烈的竞争。此外，Microsoft一直在大力投资Teams，它提供许多相同的服务。

Skype launched in 2003 in Estonia and quickly caught on as a way to make free calls worldwide, a notable perk considering international calling on traditional phones used to be expensive. The service quickly became popular, leading eBay to buy it in 2005 for $2.6 billion. However, the partnership did not work out, and eBay sold its 65% stake in Skype to an investor group for $1.9 billion in 2009 before Microsoft bought it in 2011.

Skype于2003年在爱沙尼亚推出，并很快成为一种在全球范围内拨打免费电话的方式，考虑到使用传统电话进行国际通话过去很昂贵，这是一个显着的好处。该服务很快流行起来，导致eBay在2005年以26亿美元的价格收购了它。然而，合作伙伴关系并没有成功，eBay在 2009 年以19亿美元的价格将其在Skype中65%的股份出售给了一个投资集团，然后Microsoft于2011年收购了它。