The company is forging ahead in moving its Messenger user base to Skype. Here's the updated timeline for its aggressive plan.
Microsoft is moving ahead with its aggressive plans to move users on its Messenger instant-messaging service to Skype.
Late last year, officials said to expect Microsoft to retire Messenger in all countries in the first quarter of 2013 with the exception of mainland China. The new timetable is slightly lengthier, but not much.
Officials are now saying they plan to discontinue Messenger for a "test group" comprising about one percent of the installed base of "tens of millions" on March 15. Starting April 8, Microsoft will begin phasing out Messenger for the remaining users, starting with those in English-speaking countries, and ending with Portuguese (for some unspecified reason). The entire "retirement" should be completed by April 30 or so.
