Microsoft Corp. said Monday its video calling platform Skype saw a 70 percent jump in usage in March from a month earlier, as more people shift to working from home amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The platform is being used by 40 million people, the company said in a blog post, adding that Skype-to-Skype calling minutes jumped 220 percent from a month earlier.

Shares of Microsoft rose quickly during the day, jumping 6.2 percent, or $9.32, to $159.02, by early afternoon.