[News] Windows Live Messenger is about to retire!

Windows Live Messenger is planning its retirement!

I just got word (from an email) that Windows Live Messenger is officially about to retire in two months time! Read on for more…

In an email from the Messenger team, they say that they will be retiring the existing Messenger service globally on the 15th March 2013, except for mainland China where Messenger will continue to be available (Don’t ask why because I don’t know either..), and they will be combining all the features of Messenger into Skype! So after the 15th March switch over to Skype and continue chatting to your friends and family! And best of all you can use your Microsoft Account (which is the same as your Messenger ID) to sign in to Skype! All your contacts will be merged in with your Skype contacts so none of your companions will be lost!

You’ll still be able to instant message and video chat with them just like before, and also discover new ways of staying in touch with Skype on your mobile and/or tablet.

Here are just a few of the great features that you can use with Skype:

Instant message, video call and call phones from your PC, Mac, Windows Phone, iPhone, iPad, Android mobile, Kindle Fire and other supported devices
Sharing your screen with friends and family
Video call and instant message with your Facebook friends
Group video call with up to ten friends at once (But you will need a Skype Premium subscription) (“Aww Man!”)
And that’s just the start – there’s so much more to explore on Skype

What’s happening between now and 15th March?

Messenger will continue to work as you know it today. If you are signed in with Messenger on your desktop (for newer versions of Messenger only) you will see a banner notification to upgrade. When you click on the banner, an installer window will open with the request to upgrade. This will take you through their installer flow to install Skype and automatically uninstall Messenger at the same time.

What’s happening after 15th March?

Messenger users on desktops (for newer versions of Messenger only) will not be able to sign in and will only be able to upgrade to Skype. If you attempt to sign in, a notification will appear, and if you continue, you will be taken through their installer flow to install Skype and automatically uninstall Messenger at the same time.

Can I update to Skype on my mobile?

Yes! Skype is available on iPhone, Android and soon on Windows Phone 8. We encourage you to download the latest Skype app on your mobile and then uninstall Messenger. You will be able to sign in to Skype on your iPhone, Android and Windows Phone 8 mobile apps with your Microsoft Account over the next few weeks. If you use another phone with Messenger on it, it will continue to work for a while.

To upgrade your desktop version now click the following link: http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/get-skype/on-your-computer/windows-live-messenger/

Click on each one to install on your respective mobile operating system: Android, iOS, coming soon to Windows Phone 8.

What are your opinions of switching to Skype from Windows Live Messenger? What platform do you like better? Sound off in the comments!