Microsoft has cited a regular review of feature usage as the reason behind the decision, which will affect Skype's free call minutes and Microsoft Publisher

To encourage this transition, Microsoft will soon allow users to sign in to the free version of Teams with their Skype username and password. By using the same credentials, users will be able to access their existing chats and contacts if they want to pick up where they left off.

Microsoft said that users will have the choice to either move to Microsoft Teams for free, or export their data from Skype.

Microsoft confirmed Friday that it is officially retiring Skype in May and consolidating its consumer communication offerings into Microsoft Teams.