Say Goodbye to Windows Live Messenger

by InvestorPlace Staff | November 7, 2012 10:55 am

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT[1]) has begun the shutdown of its Windows Live Messenger service[2].

The process will be complete by the first quarter of next year (except in China), but don’t worry — users can use Skype, which has many more function, including video calling. The process will be seamless, as all contacts will be transferred with a couple clicks.

Live Messenger got its start about 12 years ago when instant messaging was becoming a core activity on the Internet. But over the past few years, there has been a move to SMS and social networks like Facebook (NASDAQ:FB[3]), and the user base for Live Messenger has plunged from 300 million to about 100 million since 2010.

Still, that’s a large group — and one that will provide a nice boost to the Skype platform, which boasts about 280 million.

– Tom Taulli, InvestorPlace.com

Endnotes:
  1. MSFT: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=MSFT
  2. shutdown of its Windows Live Messenger service: http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/06/end-of-an-era-windows-live-messenger-to-be-retired-users-transitioned-to-skype/
  3. FB: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=FB

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