Topic: MSN Messenger users to be migrated to Skype in April

[Simon]

Microsoft Messenger users will be moved to Skype in April, following the software giant's purchase of the VoIP service.

The shift from Messenger to Skype will begin on 8 April for English speakers, and concluding with the migration of Brazilian Portuguese speakers at least a month later.

The job’s a formidable one: Microsoft Instant Messenger was first released in 1999, and in its 13-year history accumulated over 300 million users, according to Microsoft figures released in 2010.

In 2011, the Redmond giant bought Skype for $8.5 billion (about £5.2bn). The most recent version, Skype 6.0, was released in October 2012, and brought with it the ability to sign in to the software using a Microsoft Messenger account and send instant messages to users of the Microsoft service.

Read more: http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/380026/msn-messenger-users-to-be-migrated-to-skype-in-april#ixzz2LFlgJlxE

[Clive]

Let's hope this influx of users will not slow down Skype.  It's bad enough without them.

[Simon]

Can't say I've ever felt compelled to use it. 

[Clive]

Oh it's wonderful for keeping in touch with my grandson who Skype's us almost every evening to tell us what he has done in school or show us his latest toy.  It's even better when we are in some far flung corner of the world because we can Skype from an internet cafe or the ship. 

[Simon]

Indeed, I can see it has its uses - I just haven't managed to find one for myself.