Skype Is Officially Retired – What Your Business Needs to Know in 2025

After over two decades as a household name in online communication, Skype officially shut down for all users on May 5, 2025. Microsoft made the decision to retire both Skype for Business Online (in 2021) and now the consumer version of Skype to streamline communication and collaboration tools under one unified platform: Microsoft Teams.

At Louisville Geek, we know changes like this can feel disruptive, especially for organizations that haven’t fully transitioned. As your Managed IT Services Provider, we’re here to help ensure your business remains secure, connected, and fully supported in the modern Microsoft ecosystem.

Why Did Microsoft Retire Skype?

The move is part of Microsoft’s broader strategy to consolidate communication services under Microsoft Teams. Since its launch in 2017, Teams has evolved into a powerful platform supporting chat, meetings, calling, file collaboration, and third-party integrations.

According to Microsoft, Teams now offers everything Skype did—and significantly more. By retiring Skype, Microsoft is focusing its efforts and investments on a single, robust communication platform built for hybrid and remote work.

What This Means for Your Organization

As of May 2025:

• Skype is no longer available for consumer use—free or paid.
• Data associated with Skype (chats, contacts, call logs) must be exported before January 2026.
• Skype for Business Server will reach end-of-life in October 2025.
• Microsoft Teams is now the recommended platform for all Microsoft 365 users.

If your business still has any lingering Skype use—whether for internal communication, client contact, or legacy integrations—now is the time to fully migrate to Microsoft Teams.

How Louisville Geek Can Support Your Transition

As a Microsoft Partner, Louisville Geek can help you:

• Audit existing Skype dependencies and infrastructure
• Implement Microsoft Teams with security and governance best practices
• Integrate Teams with your phone system (Teams Voice)
• Provide user training and change management support
• Set up long-term support for Teams adoption and optimization

Whether you’re a small business still holding onto Skype or a growing organization ready to scale collaboration, we’ll help you take the next step with confidence.

Don’t Wait to Migrate

With Skype officially retired, businesses still depending on it are at increased risk of downtime, data loss, and security gaps. Let’s move forward together—on a modern, secure, and fully supported Microsoft Teams platform.

Contact Louisville Geek today to schedule your Microsoft Teams readiness consultation.