Yahoo Messenger bites the dust come July

Yahoo Messenger will no longer be around from 17 July 2018 onwards. The decision was apparently made given the communications landscape has now changed and the brand is “focusing on building and introducing new, exciting communications tools that better fit consumer needs.”There currently isn’t a replacement product available for Yahoo Messenger but Yahoo is experimenting with new services and apps, one of which is an invite-only group messaging app called Yahoo Squirrel (currently in beta).  The move comes almost a year after Yahoo’s acquisition. Currently, Yahoo is part of Oath, is owned by Verizon Communications after a US$4.48 billion acquisition a year ago.Earlier this year, Yahoo also sold off Flickr to image-hosting firm SmugMug. In a blogpost, Flickr said it always been defined by the strength of our community. The platform has been around over 14 years, first started in 2004 and then was acquired by Yahoo a year later for approximately US$25million.“We are visual storytellers. We are creators. We inspire each other and the world by showcasing the beauty around us. We share our passions and our perspectives. We transcend boundaries with our art. We find affinity with strangers and create bonds that last the length of our lives. We aspire to greatness and we teach each other what we know,” read the post by Flickr product manager, Matthew Roth.Clearly, parent company Verizon Communications too is making some strategic changes on its team as just last week, the company announced that John Stratton, executive vice president and president of global operations has informed the company of his decision to retire from Verizon by the end of 2018. Stratton will step down from his current role.Meanwhile, Hans Vestberg, CTO of Verizon as well as executive vice president and president of global networks, will take over as the chief executive officer of the company.