Rumor has it that Microsoft could elect to close down Windows Live Messenger and migrate all user profiles towards Skype, according to numerous sources in the US.

According to tech website The Verge, Windows Live Messenger could be retired by Microsoft and fully transfered to Skype in the next few months. Since the Redmond-based firm acquired Skype, it is increasingly clear that both services are fusing.

"Users of Skype 6.0 for Mac and Windows are now greeted with options to log in using a Microsoft or Facebook account," adds The Verge.

In the future, Skype should enable users to communicate using instant messaging from Microsoft's various platforms, from WLM to Outlook.com.

MSN Messenger, which morphed into Windows Live Messenger, was launched in 1999.