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 is closing down Skype, the video-calling service it bought for $8.5 billion in 2011 and which had helped spark a transformation in how people communicate online.

For users, Skype will go offline on May 5, when Microsoft replaces it with a free version of Microsoft Teams. Teams has been Microsoft’s chosen successor for years, offering the same kinds of video calls and group meetings.