Microsoft Buy Skype — Did

Launched in 2003 by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, Skype used peer-to-peer (P2P) technology to make international calling free.

Under Microsoft, Skype underwent a massive technical overhaul. It moved from its original to a centralized, Azure-based cloud service in 2017. This allowed for better syncing across mobile devices but was often criticized by long-time users for being buggy and losing the original "simplicity" that made Skype famous. 4. The Rise of Teams and the Fall of Skype

Under CEO Steve Ballmer, Microsoft outbid tech giants like Facebook and Google to secure Skype.

On May 10, 2011, Microsoft announced it would acquire Skype for $8.5 billion in cash—a massive deal that marked Microsoft's biggest acquisition at the time.