MSN News-Microsoft has announced plans to shut down its Messenger service (formerly Windows Live Messenger/MSN Messenger) and move users to Skype from 15 March 2013.
The sad news came in the form of an official email from Microsoft.
It is believed that Messenger users residing in mainland China will be unaffected by this closure.
From March 15 Messenger users will be unable to sign into Messenger and use the service. From this date Microsoft encourage you to download Skype where you’ll still be able to exchange instant-messages and have chats with your Messenger friends. Your existing Windows Live ID login will also still work.
The email also encouraged users to update to Skype and familiarise themselves with the service before the switch-off.The service switch is a consequence of Microsoft's acquisition of Skype in October 2011 for $8.5bn (£5.3bn).To help people migrate before 15 March, Microsoft has added an upgrade button to its desktop Messenger that when clicked uninstalls Messenger and puts Skype in its place.
Until the switch-off date Messenger would work as it always did, said Microsoft.
The Windows Live Messenger instant messaging program was known as MSN Messenger when it first launched in 1999. The service is believed to be used by about 300 million people every month.From this point on it was clear that anything could happen. Microsoft still held onto Skype and tech plaudits deliberated how the new service could possibly fit into these increasingly-streamlined plans. Fortunately we didn’t have to wait long for the software giant to show its hand – a recent email sent to some hundred million Messenger users has announced ambitions to finally retire the much-lauded Messenger instant-messaging service in favour of Skype.
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