Microsoft to retire Windows Live Messenger service soon

Jos

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It's been confirmed that moving forward Skype and Messenger are to become one. The shift started with Skype 6.0 (Windows/Mac) as users have been able to log in using Microsoft account credentials since this latest release. Microsoft expects to retire Messenger worlwide in the first quarter of 2013, except for China where we assume Skype doesn't have a strong penetration.

With Skype taking over, Microsoft is touting more features for Messenger users including mobile support on iOS and Android, better video call features, Facebook integration and group calling.

Original story is below:

After more than a decade at the forefront of Microsoft’s IM strategy it appears that Windows Live Messenger is ready to take a back seat to Skype. According to The Verge, multiple sources have confirmed that Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger service will be retired in the coming months, but the technology behind it will live on.

The backend of Messenger will be moved over to the Skype client, so users will still be able to login to their accounts and see their contacts, only they’ll do it from the Skype interface. Microsoft has been making the transition over the past few months and already around 80% of all IMs sent on Skype are reportedly being handled by Messenger. Starting with version 6.0 of Skype, users are also greeted with the option to log in using a Microsoft or Facebook account.

The Verge says that Microsoft will announce the retirement of Windows Live Messenger before the end of the year, possibly as early as this week. The company has been working hard to optimize Skype for Xbox with Kinect, Windows Phone, Windows 8, and even TVs, so it makes sense to tie their other IM service into a single brand. It’s unclear if their Lync communications product for businesses will follow suit.

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I just hope they revamp the Win8 Skype app and the desktop app. Both need a lot of work...
 
Eehhhh I still use aim...you know? aol instant messenger? that and facebook chat + texting are about it for me :O
 
Imo, the Skype needs revamp ... or different versions (or both)
compatible with each other but offering different functionality
simple chat should be in every v. - that's I'm using Skype
 
The endless layering, mutation and convergence of these internet communication technologies is becoming too much to bother with, and a little frightening. I'm down to just email and the occasional voice call at this point. IMO, universal and relatively open standards are the only ones worth using. I also LOL heartily at the privacy nightmare Facebook has created. We're told by security experts to use different logins for every website and online serivice - and yet literally EVERYONE wants you to use your FB login for their service, too. No thanks to any of it.
 
I have used both, and Skype is the better service. There is no denying that - so this is a very smart move indeed!
 
About time! I used windows live messenger when it was still called MSN Messenger years ago. I believe the first version that I've used is 6.2

after mobile chat such as whatsapp and facebook chat booms, I find no reason to stay online using WLM anymore, however, Skype remains important and I frequently used it. One of the main bugger is that most of my Skype messages are delivered late. I hoped they fixed this when they move WLM to skype. smart move, I hope more people use Skype so I can dial them for free lol
 
Now if they can work on lowering Skype's idle system resource usage. 100-150k idle is way too much if they want Skype to survive on platforms with less RAM.
 
Now if they can work on lowering Skype's idle system resource usage. 100-150k idle is way too much if they want Skype to survive on platforms with less RAM.
The 100 - 150k is pretty low, it's not 'way too much'. Unless you are talking about 100-150mb?
 
Wtf no -_-

why does all the good stuff have to go away -_-

haha I used to be a windows live messenger user but had to swap over to skype just because NO ONE USED WLM ANYMORE !! I loved msn much more... It's easier to use.. at least for me : / but whatever.. I guess skype is alright too.
 
I'm still using WLM 8.5 on Windows 7. I don't need all the "social network" crap or anything else, just chat and messages. Looks like I'll just be using email next unless there's a stripped-down version of Skype. I don't want to install another bloated program for simple messaging.
 
I stopped using Skype when Microsoft purchased it and replaced very secure Linux servers with awfully insecure Windows servers and introduced back doors for spying.
Also didn't like the fact it raped my network every time I used it for video chat.

I used to love MSN Messenger before it became a bloated piece of crap.
Oh well.
As mentioned previously, the way forward are the Open Standard communication platforms.
 
I didn't really think anything about the newest msn. I just didn't like the way it looked at first and some addons I used for it were incompatible. So I switched back to the older one a long while back and got the older one a while back. A friend of mine had the same problems with skype when his mother was using it while he was playing online, so he got her to switch to oovoo xD
 
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