Starting today, Windows Live Messenger users can talk to their contacts using Skype.
This integration comes just a day after reports that Microsoft is retiring Windows Live Messenger in favor of Skype hit the web.
A blog post from Skype president Tony Bates confirms that Messenger will be retired in all countries except for China in the first quarter of 2013.
The underpinnings for a Windows Messenger/Skype marriage started with October's release of Skype 6.0 for Mac and Windows. With Skype 6, users can opt to sign in to their Skype accounts with a Microsoft ID.
Users can now log into Skype with their Live Messenger ID and, if they choose, merge the account with an existing Skype account.
While we think that a Skype/Messenger merger makes a lot of sense, it still leaves some unanswered questions. For instance, what will happen to third-party clients that use the Microsoft Messenger protocol? Moreover, will these changes also extend to the Xbox Messenger service, or will they remain distinct?