Restrictions on the use of Windows Live Messenger will begin on April 8, with the process of migrating all English-speaking users to Skype expected to take less than a month.
HumanIPO reported last month the migration process would begin on March 15, and now official Skype blogger Parri Munsell has announced the next part of the process, with restrictions on use set to be implemented from early April.
“The upgrade from Messenger to Skype on Windows desktop will start on April 8,” Munsell wrote in a blog post. The process is expected to be finished by April 30 for English speakers.
Windows Live Messenger users will start to be restricted from signing in from April 8, dependent on language and region, and provided with a notification suggesting Skype installation.
In his blog posts, Munsell remind users to the advantages of migrating to Skype.
“Upgrading to Skype can help you communicate in flexible ways, and be connected on more devices and platforms including Windows, Mac, iOS, Windows Phone, Android and soon Blackberry,” he writes.
Microsoft purchased Skype in May 2011 for US$8.56 billion in cash, beating off interest from Google and Facebook. According to a report by The Verge, the company is set to launch video messages on Skype this week, allowing users to video messages of up to three minutes in length to each other.
