Skype drops support for Skype on Windows Phone 7

Users running the Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 operating system are in for some bad news: the company has just decided that it will be dropping support for Skype for WP7.

Lara Kingwell, the Skype's product marketing manager said in a blog post that they are focusing their efforts on improving Skype for the Windows Phone 8 platform.

"As we look ahead to the future, we are focusing all our efforts to bring great experiences and improved performance to Windows Phone 8, building on the capabilities of the platform. As a result we are not planning to release further updates to Skype for Windows Phone 7," she said.

But she also added that the Windows Phone 7 app will remain available to download in the Windows Phone Store.

This will allow users to "still keep using the core Skype experiences, such as Chat, Voice and Video Calls," she added.

Still, Kingwell noted Skype's work on Windows Phone has been "leading the way in a number of key areas."

Kingwell said that Skype for Windows Phone was the first Skype mobile app to have HD Video Calling, the new Modern user interface and be always-on and power-efficient.

"The Windows Phone 8 platform is gaining good momentum in the marketplace and at Skype the vast majority of our Windows Phone base and usage is on Windows Phone 8," she added.

Recently, Skype released Video Messaging for its Windows Phone 8 app, allowing users to record and share messages, even when friends and loved ones are not available for a call.