Microsoft confirms they will shut down the Windows Live Messenger on March 15

Microsoft has officially announced that they will be retiring their Windows Live Messenger service on March 15, this year. The Messenger service is being used by millions of users around the world over the last 13 years, but Microsoft is choosing to retire the service and migrate its users toward their recently updated Skype service.

Microsoft first announced that they will be discontinuing their Messenger service back in November last year with mainland China remaining as the one exception. Users in that region will continue having access to Windows Live Messenger as a standalone chat option.

Existing users of the Messenger service who are looking for alternative options are being directed towards Skype which offers text, voice and video interactions. Microsoft has continued to improve the Skype service since its acquisition in the hopes of building a better experience for existing users while getting it ready to accept the large Messenger user base who would eventually migrate to the platform with their Microsoft accounts. The Skype for Windows Phone 8 is also being updated with additional features in order to support its eventual role.

Have you made your switch from Windows Live Messenger to Skype? What do you think of the Skype experience? Leave us a comment below.