Skype: From the first free video call to a quiet death

The magic of Skype was not in its technical details but in its emotional resonance. This was not just about functionality. It was about presence.

It is April 2025. My daughters are sprawled on the living room couch, Netflix humming in the background, texting their friends. A WhatsApp call buzzes on the side. Their digital lives flow seamlessly. They barely register what’s happening in the world of tech. Skype is being taken off life-support by Microsoft. May 5 is its final day. I doubt they’ll even notice. But I do. I will mourn its passing.

Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer speaks during an announcement in May 2011 in San Francisco. The company bought Skype for $8.5 billion in 2011. (AFP FILE)