[…] Skype, the blue bubble that once connected continents and conference rooms with a single click, will fall silent for good on Monday (May 5) Microsoft, which acquired Skype for $8.5 billion in 2011, is consolidating its communication strategy around Microsoft Teams. The rise of competitors — Zoom, Slack, Google Meet, FaceTime — further eroded its market share, leaving Microsoft little choice but to focus its resources on a future-proof platform. Users React: Nostalgia, Frustration and Reluctant Acceptance for Skype’s retirement. The end of Skype isn’t just the latest chapter in tech’s relentless cycle of innovation and obsolescence — it’s a calculated pivot. The news lands with a bittersweet pang: after more than two decades, Microsoft is retiring Skype. …