March 15 will mark the end of an era for Windows Messenger.

Last November, Microsoft announced that it would be killing off the popular instant messaging tool. Admittedly, after 14 years in operation, Windows Messenger can now be considered as outdated. However, it was our first form of social media and the first platform on which hundreds of millions of users started updating their status and using emoticons.

Users will now be directed to Skype – acquired by Microsoft for €5.9bn in May, 2011 – which apart from instant messaging, also offers audio and video chat.

Microsoft sent an e-mail to all Windows Messenger users, saying: “We are retiring the existing Messenger service globally and bringing the great features of Messenger and Skype together.”

Windows Messenger will continue to operate in mainland China, where it is run under licence.

• Windows Messenger started out as MSN Messenger in 1999. It was created by Microsoft and has been part of Microsoft’s Windows Live set of online services since 2005.

• At its peak, Windows Messenger users were sharing over one billion status updates each month.

• On average, Windows Messenger attracted over 330 million active users in 76 countries and 48 languages each month. Users shared over 1.5 billion conversations and sent more than nine billion messages every day.

• Windows Messenger enjoyed partnerships with 74 sites around the world, including Facebook, Twitter, Digg and Hyves.

• The original file size of Windows Messenger was 320kB. The latest version needs around 25MB.

• In the six months after Facebook chat was included in Windows Messenger in 2010, 2.8 billion minutes of Facebook chat occurred through Windows Messenger.

• The original Windows Messenger didn’t include any form of advertising. Microsoft introduced rotating advert banners in MSN Messenger in 1999.

• In 2011, Windows Messenger had 40.67 per cent share of the instant messaging market. Skype was second with 27.39 per cent.

• At peak times, Windows Messenger had more than 40 million simultaneous online connections.

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