마이크로 소프트는 스카이프를 지원하기 위하여 윈도우 라이브 메신저를

2013년 초 중단 할 것이라고 밝혔다. 윈도우 라이브 메진저 중단은 1억명이

넘는 메신저 사용자와 스카이프를 통합하기 위한 중단며, 윈도우 라이브 메신저

사용자는 마이크로 소프트 계정에서 지원하는 윈도우 라이브 최신 버전을 다운받아

상용 할 것을 권고 한다고 밝혔다.

Microsoft is working towards retiring its Windows Live Messenger client in favor of Skype. The Verge has learned through several sources that Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger service will be retired in the coming months and integrated into Skype. Microsoft has slowly been moving people over to the Messenger backend for Skype over the past few months, with around 80 percent of all IMs sent on Skype being handled by Messenger.

The company will announce the retirement of Windows Live Messenger soon, possibly as early as this week according to sources. The move follows efforts by Skype to link Microsoft accounts to Skype login names ahead of its global retirement plan for Windows Live Messenger. Users of Skype 6.0 for Mac and Windows are now greeted with options to log in using a Microsoft or Facebook account. The Verge reached out to Microsoft for comment on the retirement, we'll update you accordingly.

Update: Microsoft has now confirmed it plans to phase out Windows Live Messenger in the first quarter of 2013.