Microsoft today announced that its Windows Live Messenger (also known as MSN Messenger) service is being rolled up into Skype. The latest versions of Skype for Windows and Mac will let users sign in with their Microsoft account and find all their Messenger there.
Our goal remains to deliver the best communications experience for everyone, everywhere. We want to focus our efforts on making things simpler for our users while continuously improving the overall experience.
Messenger users will find a number of new features in Skype including:
- Broader device support for all platforms, including iPad and Android tablets
- Instant messaging, video calling, and calling landlines and mobiles all in one place
- Sharing screens
- Video calling on mobile phones
- Video calling with Facebook friends
- Group video calling
Microsoft will need to migrate some 100 million accounts, something that will not be completed until early 2013. At that point, it will retire Messenger worldwide in the first quarter of 2013 with the exception of mainland China where it will remain available.
Read more: Skype