Microsoft to move all Messenger users to Skype on March 15

Microsoft today confirmed its plans to migrate Messenger users to Skype by emailing all 100 million+ Messenger users to announce that Messenger will be retired on March 15, 2013 and all users will be moved to Skype. Microsoft announced last November that it has been planning to discontinue Windows Live Messenger in 2013 in favour of Skype, which it acquired in October 2011.

All Messenger users, except those in mainland China, can migrate their accounts to Skype by signing in with their Windows Live accounts. Messenger will continue working in mainland China because Skype is operated there by a local provider called TOM.

Microsoft’s email to users today went out with the subject, “Important info about your Messenger account”, The Next Web reports. In the email Microsoft announced that “It’s time to update Messenger to Skype!” The news was unsurprising for many users as Skype stated in a blog in November that the migration would take place in Q1 2013.

Microsoft maintained in the email that nothing will change for the users if they migrate from Messenger to Skype as like previously they can send and receive instant messages and see the information of those using Live Messenger, Xbox, Hotmail or Outlook.com. Skype has been testing new Windows and Mac beta releases since October to allow users to sign in to Skype using their Windows Live ID.

In the email Microsoft also addressed the Messenger users on desktops. Microsoft cleared that after March 15 Messenger users on desktops will not be able to sign in and will only be able to upgrade to Skype. After March 15, Messenger users on desktops will get a notification if they attempt to sign in. On continuing, users will be taken through the installer flow to install Skype and automatically uninstall Messenger at the same time.