Microsoft to Shut Down Skype in May.
Microsoft has announced the imminent shutdown of Skype in May 2025, marking the end of the 21-year-old communication platform as the company directs users toward Microsoft Teams as its primary communication service.
The decision, confirmed by Microsoft 365 President Jeff Teper, comes after years of declining relevance for Skype despite its pioneering role in digital communicationโhaving grown from 11 million users in 2004 to 405 million by 2008 before being acquired by Microsoft for $8.5 billion in 2011.
Current Skype users have clear migration options: they can transition to Teams using their existing Skype credentials with all contacts and chat histories transferring automatically, or they can export their data if they prefer not to migrate.
Microsoft is rolling out the ability for Skype users to sign into Teams on any supported device using their Skype credentials, with cross-platform communication maintained during the transition period so Teams users can communicate with Skype users and vice versa.
While new paid Skype features won't be available to new customers, existing subscribers can continue using Skype Credits and subscriptions until their next renewal period, after which the Skype Dial Pad will remain accessible through the web portal and within Teams until the final shutdown on May 5, 2025.
The shutdown highlights Skype's challenges in keeping pace with emerging platforms such as Zoom and Slack, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when Microsoft focused on enhancing Teams, pointing to an outdated technology foundation that was not tailored for smartphones as one of the reasons for Skype's downturn.
๐ถ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ท๐ป ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐.
OpenAI has launched Deep Research for ChatGPT Plus subscribers, allowing them to autonomously scan the internet, analyze content from multiple sources, and generate in-depth reports with citations.
The tool, designed for finance, research, policy, and engineering professionals, also understands text, images, and PDFs, enhancing its utility for complex analysis.
Users can initiate research tasks lasting 5โ30 minutes, making it a powerful assistant for high-level inquiries.
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The rollout provides ChatGPT Plus members ($20/month) with 10 Deep Research queries per month, while Pro users ($200/month) receive 100โ120 queries.
Enterprise, Team, and Edu users gain access with 10 queries, while free-tier users are expected to receive 2 queries per month.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has indicated plans to scale up access over time.
This expansion marks a significant step in AI-driven research, bridging automation and human expertise to deliver structured, high-quality insights across industries.
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ก ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฏ๐.
South Africaโs Competition Commission has proposed strict measures requiring major tech firms like Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, X, and TikTok to compensate local news media, citing anticompetitive practices that have weakened the sectorโs financial viability.
A 2023 inquiry found digital platforms dominate content distribution and monetization, contributing to revenue declines for SA media houses.
Proposed remedies include mandating Google to pay R300 million to R500 million annually for 3โ5 years and requiring Meta and X to restore news visibility and referral traffic by at least 100%. YouTube is also urged to increase broadcastersโ revenue shares to 70% and prioritize direct sales partnerships.
The commission attributes SAโs media crisisโcharacterized by newsroom closures, job losses, and growing โnews desertsโโto platforms leveraging journalism without fair compensation, exacerbating digital disruption.
Major outlets, including Media24 and Independent Media, have reduced print operations or shut down editions, while others like Daily Maverick struggle with declining ad revenues.
The inquiry warns that platforms depend on journalism while undermining its sustainability, endangering media diversity in a country where paywalls remain unfeasible for most citizens.
This regulatory push aligns SA with global efforts, such as Canadaโs and Californiaโs, where Meta has blocked news to avoid payments.
The move highlights the intensifying battle between governments and Big Tech over equitable revenue sharing, raising questions about the future of digital news monetization worldwide.
