Skype is shutting down, with Microsoft confirming the service’s closure in May.

Founded in 2003, Skype became a household name, with hundreds of millions of users at its peak.

However, tech giant Microsoft has announced it will retire the two-decade-old internet calling service on May 5, urging users to switch to Teams.

Jeff Teper, President of Microsoft 365 collaborative apps and platforms, told CNBC: “We’ve learned a lot from Skype over the years that we’ve put into Teams as we’ve evolved teams over the last seven to eight years.

“But we felt like now is the time because we can be simpler for the market, for our customer base, and we can deliver more innovation faster just by being focused on Teams.”

Teper added: “This is obviously a big, big moment for us, and we’re certainly very grateful in many ways.

“Skype pioneered audio and video calling on the web for many, many people. I think a good write-up of the history of the thing would mark the shift to mobile and cloud as a significant change in the communications category.”