Microsoft has announced its intention to “retire” Windows Live Messenger and replace it with Skype’s messaging tool. Microsoft paid $8.5 billion for Skype, the communications software developer, just 18 months ago.
Microsoft said Windows Live Messenger would be turned off by March 2013 worldwide, with the exception of China, a move that reflects the firm’s determination to focus its efforts on Skype.
WLM launched in 1999 when it was known as MSN Messenger and in 2009, Microsoft claimed to have 330 million active users.
According to internet analysis firm Comscore, WLM still had more than double the number of Skype’s instant messenger facility at the start of this year and was second only in popularity to Yahoo Messenger.
However, the report also suggested WLM’s US audience had fallen to 8.3 million unique users, a 48% drop year-on-year.