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Microsoft Says Skype Users Surge 70 Percent in a Month to 40 Million Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

Microsoft Says Skype Users Surge 70 Percent in a Month to 40 Million Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

Skype-to-Skype calling minutes jumped 220 percent from a month earlier, Microsoft said in a blog post.

By Reuters | Updated: 31 March 2020 10:26 IST

Microsoft Says Skype Users Surge 70 Percent in a Month to 40 Million Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

People staying indoors are using video chatting apps to get in touch with friends and colleagues

Highlights

Number of people using Skype has surged by 70 percent in a month
The number has jumped to 40 million
Skype-to-Skype calling minutes jumped 220 percent from a month earlier

The number of people using Microsoft's Skype video calling system has surged by 70 percent in a month to 40 million people presently, as more individuals stay home due to the coronavirus outbreak, the company said on Monday.

Skype-to-Skype calling minutes jumped 220 percent from a month earlier, the company said in a blog post.

Microsoft added that it is re-branding its popular productivity suite Office 365 to 'Microsoft 365' beginning April 21, with new features including a family safety app that helps manage screen time across Windows PCs, Android, and Xbox.

Stay-at-home stocks like video conferencing company Zoom Video Communications and several gaming stocks have seen a surge recently as millions of people are expected to spend weeks or longer inside their homes.

The company also added new features in its Microsoft Teams, which is used by over 44 million people everyday, promoting the use of the workplace chat app among family and friends.

© Thomson Reuters 2020

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