Microsoft has announced that it will officially shut down its Windows Live Messenger in the early quarter of 2013 and will be merging the 13-year-old program with Skype—prompting its users to migrate to Skype.
By installing the latest version of Skype, users can sign into it with their Messenger credentials, where they will find their Messenger contacts on their Skype contact list.
“We want to focus our efforts on making things simpler for our users while continuously improving the overall experience,” wrote Skype’s president Tony Bates.
With this new merger, users can expect the following new features: support for more devices like iPad and Android tablets; screen sharing, the ability to call landline phones and group video conferencing.
Microsoft, which bought Skype in October 2011 for US$8.5 billion, will provide more information about the transition in the next couple of months.
[via Skype]