Skype was developed by a team of developers from Estonia, Sweden, and the Netherlands, and was initially released in August 2003. The platform gained rapid popularity, and in 2005, it was acquired by eBay for $2.6 billion. In 2011, Skype was purchased by Microsoft for $8.5 billion, which integrated Skype technology into various Microsoft products, including Windows and Office. Over the years, Skype has evolved with numerous updates and features, including integration with other Microsoft services.