NEW YORK—Microsoft is dropping its instant-messaging program and forcing most users to switch to Skype.
Maintaining Windows Live Messenger made less sense after
Microsoft Corp. bought Skype for $8.5 billion last year. A new version
of Skype released a few weeks ago allows users to sign in with a
Microsoft account. By merging the two services, people won’t have to
maintain two separate contact lists.
Microsoft says much has changed in how people
Microsoft is dropping its instant-messaging program and forcing mos
t users to switch to Skype. JUSTIN SULLIVAN/GETTY IMAGES/AFP
communicate. There’s more use of text messaging and social networking.
