Microsoft Teams vs. Skype (discontinued)

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Microsoft Teams
Score 8.1 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft Teams combines video conferencing software with team collaboration tools. The communications platform allows MS Office users to conduct conference calls and share files via SharePoint, and join or initiate a group chat.
$4.80
per month per user
Skype (discontinued)
Score 7.0 out of 10
N/A
Skype (the personal edition or Skype free) was a web meeting, video conferencing, and VoIP software, now superseded by Microsoft Teams' free edition and unsupported from May 2025.
$2.99
per month
Pricing
Microsoft TeamsSkype (discontinued)
Editions & Modules
Microsoft Teams Essentials
$4.80
per month per user
Microsoft Teams Enterprise
$5.25
per month (paid yearly) per user
Microsoft Teams Enterprise
$5.25
per month per user
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
$7.20
per month per user
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
$15
per month per user
United States Subscription
$2.99
per month
North America Subscription
$6.99
per month
India Subscription
$7.99
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Microsoft TeamsSkype (discontinued)
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsDiscounts are available for non profit organizations.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Microsoft TeamsSkype (discontinued)
Considered Both Products
Microsoft Teams
Chose Microsoft Teams
I enjoy Teams better than Lync/Skype for Business, but I enjoy Slack the most for inter-company communication and UI/UX convenience. The learning curve for Slack is very small and it has a casual atmosphere that would engage the employees in a more fun and welcoming manner than …
Chose Microsoft Teams
I do not use Microsoft Teams if I can avoid it, because I can get the same type of work done in Slack, which has a much more intuitive user interface and is more modern in terms of functionality. I also use Skype for Business more regularly because it uses fewer computer …
Chose Microsoft Teams
My organization moved from Skype for Business to Teams. It required some learning curve but overall the tool was very intuitive and user friendly.
Chose Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams over powered the Skype for business due to few major reasons, like Ms teams is windows authentic application, Ms teams is best linked with other window's applications and as well as outlook and one drive.
Ms teams allows much larger no. of people to join in a …
Chose Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a far better product to use than Skype as it offers a more user-friendly interface. It is also easier to set up and use. I found that Teams has a better layout and is used by more people, making it a better and friendlier system to use.
Chose Microsoft Teams
Skype is now Microsoft Teams only. And the UI of teams is way more flexible and strong than Skype. Slack and Microsoft Teams have there own specific features, both are awesome to use.Slack is less costlier than Microsoft Teams
Chose Microsoft Teams
Teams is generally better and has a more professional "feel" than Skype, Google Meet, or Zoom.
With Teams, access control is less easily managed than with Skype, Google Meet, or Zoom.
Teams has better internal security than Zoom. I have never been "bombed" on Teams, whereas …
Chose Microsoft Teams
It will eventually be the replacement for Skype for Business. Microsoft has announced the end date for Skype and already new instances of Office 365 below a certain number of users don't even include Skype. Already, all they get is Teams. And it's definitely the winner for …
Chose Microsoft Teams
I have mainly used the Microsoft messaging tools so I can only compare between them. Overall, I like Teams better than the older versions such as Skype for Business. They did drop one or two features but I can't even remember what they were now. The ones they added are great …
Chose Microsoft Teams
I suppose on some level I selected Microsoft Teams because my company has it installed on the computers automatically, but having used other programs I find the Microsoft Teams interface to be very user-friendly and you aren't forced into harder to use features unless you …
Chose Microsoft Teams
When working remotely, it's ideal for team communication. The text messaging and chat features are simple and intuitive. You can quickly and easily join a video or audio conference with other team members. It's just fantastic; it's a must-have tool for business, especially in …
Chose Microsoft Teams
Teams is the best of the company message tools that I have used so far because it integrates so many functionalities. Teams goes way beyond the instant messaging or video calls features with screen-sharing. It integrated with your calendar, enables you to do task tracking (e.g. …
Chose Microsoft Teams
Teams is lightweight as compared to all other applications. Screen sharing is flawless, filesharing is much more organized. Call scheduling is easier & integrated with emails.
Video calls have an option of virtual background which is not there in other applications.
Meetings are …
Chose Microsoft Teams
For our particular use case, which is collaboration across teams sitting in different geographies in a fast-paced sales organization, Microsoft Teams is just the perfect platform to bring everyone together. Teams helps you keep the dialogue strictly professional which is good …
Chose Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is better than Zoom by a factor of two at least. It integrates well with other Microsoft products that we use.
Chose Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is living up to our expectations, we are able to achieve back our return on investment. Not just the investment or revenue but we have successfully achieved our business goal. The communication both inbound and outbound has been at par with our expectations and …
Chose Microsoft Teams
Teams are just way ahead of these platforms.
The overall collaboration options and integration with other platforms and online usability options are great.
With the mobile and web access options, you are truly able to collaborate and work wherever you are from whatever capable …
Chose Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams has far more features compared to Webex. It integrates Outlook 365 which is very useful during meetings.
Chose Microsoft Teams
[I believe] Microsoft [T]eams is better than both of these apps for a business like ours. [I]ts quick chat and perfect notification system helps us to chat fluid without any problems. It performs better than the chat systems on Zoom, and therefore this is the reason we stayed …
Chose Microsoft Teams
Surely Microsoft Teams is a better option for organisations than the mentioned application. It has clearly taken over the lead within enterprises and government organizations, used by 65% of surveyed respondents. It offers more robust features which other apps don’t provide. It …
Chose Microsoft Teams
Although competitors such as Slack and Webex can really stand up to MS Teams, our organization chose Teams as the predominant work communicator. Working within this decision, we are overall happy with the feature set that Teams provides. In my opinion, the advantages of its …
Chose Microsoft Teams
As mentioned, Microsoft Teams [has] been our way of communication since the start of the pandemic. We've been using this and so far it never fails us and even exceeds our expectations. The scheduling and meeting notification is very helpful [for] reminders, especially for days …
Chose Microsoft Teams
It's more user-friendly and has better features.
Skype (discontinued)
Chose Skype (discontinued)
We have found Microsoft Teams and Zoom to be better video conferencing apps for our organization and frequently opt for Teams because we use Office 365 and Teams is built into our calendars. However, I do prefer using Skype for sending messages internally to other colleagues …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Microsoft Teams provides basically the same services. Local number calling is not available (that I know of) but that only matters if you have any need to use it. Teams is a little more stable, especially with a lot of people on a call. Skype is easier to set up and to operate. …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype lags behind in the kind of integrated functionality that other platforms provide. I believe Microsoft is planning to move away from Skype entirely, but Microsoft Teams are far superior. Not only do they provide instant messaging capabilities but all of the features are …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Microsoft Teams is more suitable for teams who share information in Channels. It also allows simple management of tasks and projects through the integrated Kanban Board. Zoom and Webex Meetings are more suitable for holding Webinars. Zoom is easy to use for holding meetings …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Selected Skype because it was the only platform that was available for such purposes for video conferencing or audio conferencing. Since Microsoft, the tech giant, backed it, it was assured that it would work great in terms of productivity, with utmost security measures for all …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
All of these other products have kept up with advancements in VoIP and communication technology and have expanded their portfolio of grouped services with their applications while Skype has been pretty stagnant
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Teams is more professional, Calendar integration with Outlook is possible so that is plus point as compared to Skype. Many people use Teams and are comfortable on it so it is good for us. But yes, Skype is the only business communication tool which enables calling on mobile …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
As a whole business, we did not go with Skype. But for selected use cases we did. These scenarios were based upon what technology the other parties had access to. They were comfortable using Skype so we adapted to using it. We have used it to connect classes on site and off …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype is more user-friendly than these other products. Skype has a simple, easy-to-understand user interface that even newcomers to audio/video conferencing can understand intuitively. While Skype and Zoom offer similar features, they are loaded down with extras: more buttons …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype is more user-friendly and has a better-suited option for us, plus its acceptability is unique and very much welcomed all over. Professionals are already adhered to interphase and using for their personal use and no such training costs were involved as in this region its a …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
It’s extremely user-friendly. Truthfully I use multiple different applications that serve similar purposes depending on what our partners are familiar working with. Skype has had pretty dependable connectivity compared to others I’ve used. Also very simple to set up and share …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
They are close but TEAMs had a wider adoption in the general community which led to us leaning on TEAMs a bit more.
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype overall is easier to use than a lot of comparable collaboration tools on the market. It really doesn't require formal training to use, and most users get used to all the features of the platform pretty quick overall. Some other collaboration tools may offer more …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype works just as well as other video conferencing platforms. Microsoft Teams and Zoom seem to have taken the lead on usage across the United States. It still works well and could easily be implemented in your office. I would continue to use it if it weren’t for my office …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
"Describe how Skype stacks up against them and why you selected Skype." Not at all. I am writing this review as a "no more customer," as Skype doesn't work anymore. The only help they offer is to tell you, it's your own connection. Well, if my connection isn't suitable for …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Selected Skype due to familiarity, and ease of installation and packaging with the OS.
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype stands out as a more cost-effective solution, but the features are very similar and Skype may fall a bit behind compared to the big competitors it faces due to its occasional technical issues. We selected Skype because our organization is smaller and it is a …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Mostly security reasons and focused on doing one thing well. People know the name and the ring of Skype. One of the best and longest in the business. Caters to much of the older generation due to longevity. Older generations like tried and true and often shy away from the new …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
I wasn't involved in the decision to purchase Skype, so I can't comment on what exactly was the deciding factor or criteria. But compared to other similar tools, Skype is probably on the lower/cheaper end and doesn't offer as much customization or functionality but for smaller …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype stacks up against them as it is far more user-friendly and it is helpful for smaller companies who need a more affordable system. However, it does lack some functionalities that other tools have which can change this communication tool to a full-fledged like polls and …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype has an early user advantage as it has been in the market for very long, however, newer tools like Zoom and MS Teams are coming with much better options for its users. Teams is now replacing Skype in our organization as the preferred tool of communication because of its …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype is just a robust system that almost everyone I've ever interacted with within a business setting has some experience with. So, for us, it was a decision based on convenience and reliability. Skype is [an] application that has been around for a long time and has many …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Compared to Slack, Skype for Business and MS Teams - I would choose any of them over Skype.
Main strength of the other solutions is that they are usually made to be connected to your work e-mail.
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype has a way better user interface, which is considerably more convenient to use. Obviously, compared to the competitors, Skype stands out as more professional software, which is supported on a lot of devices on different operating systems. As for me, Skype is also more …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
I chose Skype because I had used it in the past and it’s well recommended and also I’m very familiar with Microsoft products, making it an easy option to choose from.

Features
Microsoft TeamsSkype (discontinued)
Project Management
Comparison of Project Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Teams
7.7
231 Ratings
1% below category average
Skype (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Task Management7.7170 Ratings00 Ratings
Gantt Charts7.288 Ratings00 Ratings
Scheduling7.9198 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow Automation8.0118 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile Access8.1220 Ratings00 Ratings
Search7.1202 Ratings00 Ratings
Visual planning tools8.2135 Ratings00 Ratings
Communication
Comparison of Communication features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Teams
7.9
240 Ratings
1% below category average
Skype (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Chat8.9239 Ratings00 Ratings
Notifications8.2238 Ratings00 Ratings
Discussions8.5225 Ratings00 Ratings
Surveys7.9136 Ratings00 Ratings
Internal knowledgebase8.4149 Ratings00 Ratings
Integrates with GoToMeeting6.547 Ratings00 Ratings
Integrates with Gmail and Google Hangouts5.743 Ratings00 Ratings
Integrates with Outlook9.1155 Ratings00 Ratings
File Sharing & Management
Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Teams
8.0
225 Ratings
0% below category average
Skype (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Versioning8.3158 Ratings00 Ratings
Video files8.1192 Ratings00 Ratings
Audio files8.5191 Ratings00 Ratings
Document collaboration8.7205 Ratings00 Ratings
Access control8.4187 Ratings00 Ratings
Advanced security features8.2147 Ratings00 Ratings
Integrates with Google Drive5.353 Ratings00 Ratings
Device sync8.3161 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software
Comparison of Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Teams
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
7.0
138 Ratings
12% below category average
High quality audio00 Ratings7.6135 Ratings
High quality video00 Ratings7.7133 Ratings
Low bandwidth requirements00 Ratings6.3130 Ratings
Mobile support00 Ratings6.4118 Ratings
Screen Sharing
Comparison of Screen Sharing features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Teams
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
6.5
119 Ratings
19% below category average
Desktop sharing00 Ratings6.5118 Ratings
Whiteboards00 Ratings6.560 Ratings
Online Meetings / Events
Comparison of Online Meetings / Events features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Teams
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
6.5
118 Ratings
22% below category average
Calendar integration00 Ratings6.485 Ratings
Meeting initiation00 Ratings7.0106 Ratings
Integrates with social media00 Ratings5.265 Ratings
Record meetings / events00 Ratings7.077 Ratings
Slideshows00 Ratings6.868 Ratings
Online Events Collaboration
Comparison of Online Events Collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Teams
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
6.2
111 Ratings
26% below category average
Live chat00 Ratings6.5110 Ratings
Audience polling00 Ratings6.064 Ratings
Q&A00 Ratings6.062 Ratings
Online Events Security
Comparison of Online Events Security features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Teams
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
7.6
101 Ratings
5% below category average
User authentication00 Ratings8.888 Ratings
Participant roles & permissions00 Ratings7.283 Ratings
Confidential attendee list00 Ratings6.860 Ratings
VoIP system collaboration
Comparison of VoIP system collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Teams
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
7.1
4 Ratings
6% below category average
Video conferencing00 Ratings6.94 Ratings
Audio conferencing00 Ratings7.64 Ratings
Video screen sharing00 Ratings6.34 Ratings
Instant messaging00 Ratings7.64 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Microsoft TeamsSkype (discontinued)
Small Businesses
Stackby
Stackby
Score 9.0 out of 10
Intermedia AnyMeeting Pro
Intermedia AnyMeeting Pro
Score 7.2 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Troop Messenger
Troop Messenger
Score 9.8 out of 10
JioMeet
JioMeet
Score 9.8 out of 10
Enterprises
HCL Connections
HCL Connections
Score 9.0 out of 10
Webex Meetings
Webex Meetings
Score 8.5 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Microsoft TeamsSkype (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
8.3
(281 ratings)
7.8
(140 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
3.7
(9 ratings)
10.0
(5 ratings)
Usability
8.7
(67 ratings)
6.0
(4 ratings)
Availability
9.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
8.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
8.3
(113 ratings)
10.0
(42 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(3 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
6.3
(7 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
10.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Professional Services
7.0
(7 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Microsoft TeamsSkype (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft
It is well-suited for an organization with many team members who are scattered throughout different locations. It offers organization and clarity to projects, files, and tasks in one centralized location. It would be a bit of an overkill for a small organization where everyone is in the same location 5 days a week
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Discontinued Products
Having interacted with a new replacement tool, Microsoft Teams, it is challenging to recommend Skype, as it lacks some essential features, such as being less equipped with the latest updates, and it is not platform-independent, causing issues on PCs and phones, as well as during calls that might hinder work.
Read full review
Pros
Microsoft
  • Makes communication and collaboration easier through Chat.
  • Lets us personalize and humanize face-to-face interactions through Meetings.
  • Helps me effectively plan out my day through Calendar.
  • Enables us to safely store and access our information through OneDrive.
  • Simplifies calls and voice communication.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
  • The instant chat function is great. Very straightforward, easy to use, easy to learn, no technical issues.
  • Video calls are pretty easy also, user friendly and a mostly stable connection with no issues.
  • Voice calls are easy also, eliminates the need for an external landline or the need to use your cell phone. Clear connections, not really any dropped calls.
Read full review
Cons
Microsoft
  • the calendar function can improve it's not 100% feature parody with outlook.
  • Better search for documents and contact with AI
  • offer the same security for document sharing as is available in outlook. Especially concerning PII and documents shared to "external" contacts.
  • Contact is hidden away in "Calls" and needs to be better exposed like it use too.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
  • Skype is a RESOURCE hog. People who have limited bandwidth will have poor call quality.
  • It is hard to figure out how to use emojis and upload images in the chat.
  • The background images do not fool anybody....it is clearly not your real background.
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Likelihood to Renew
Microsoft
Microsoft Teams is included with our Office 365 subscription and we have no intention of migrating off of Office 365 and Microsoft products. Since Microsoft Teams is included for free with our Office 365 subscription, and since we enjoy all the features, benefits, and functionality, there is no question that our team will continue to use the product
Read full review
Discontinued Products
I have given this rating as this need to give more than that as it's very helpful for us and makes our work more efficient and fast.
Read full review
Usability
Microsoft
If you have the full Microsoft Office suite, it works really well because it's integrated well within its ecosystem, but if not, it can be annoying because it tries to open a shared file in the web versions of the file equivalents. The web version is also a bit slow, and the login is very difficult to handle if you have multiple Microsoft or Outlook accounts.
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Discontinued Products
Skype is not as good as Facetime in terms of ease to glance at it and figure out how it works. I think that's a result of Skype trying to be too many things at once. A lot of the menu and UI could be streamlined, and I would jettison some of the additional functions that have been tacked on over the years to simplify. That being said, while some options are slightly hard to find, they all work flawlessly once found.
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Reliability and Availability
Microsoft
Rare, but outages do happen
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Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Performance
Microsoft
Sometimes about once a week I get a message that says "Sorry, there seems to be something wrong". But it goes away in a few minutes.
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Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Microsoft
The overall support provided by Microsoft for Microsoft Teams has been quite good but there is still some room for improvements. Microsoft needs to proactively work on fixing the open bugs in order to provide a seamless experience to the users. But over the service and experience provided by the Microsoft team have been quite satisfactory.
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Discontinued Products
I am not aware of the current support level for Skype for business, as I have never used even though I have the product. However, the support for Skype's personal paid users is not where it could be. Users who pay for Skype features do not have a clear path to reach out to support. So, rating 6, can be better as soon as I need to use Skype for business support and get a good experience. I will say that I will renew Skype for Business subscription, which is a significant inconsistency on my end. The explanation is that Skype for Business comes bundled with Office for Business, with no additional cost, so why not.
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Implementation Rating
Microsoft
I find everything I need for my day-to-day work.
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Discontinued Products
It can be used on the phone via mobile application as well as on the desktop by logging in to the website. Easily installed and ready to use.
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Alternatives Considered
Microsoft
Microsoft Teams offers a much more integrated experience between their chat and video call function compared to Google Chat and Slack. Both other tools are much better for internal communications are they have simpler UI without other features. Whereas Microsoft Teams can be used for more critical conversations, particularly between external companies, and has been very useful in sales conversations which is what we chose it for when speaking to companies that work exclusively through Microsoft.
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Discontinued Products
We use Skype in combination with Grasshopper. While Grasshopper acts as a routing toll free number with extensions, if we are making calls directly, we do it through Skype. Skype's desktop and mobile apps are easier to use, and provide unlimited local calls at a flat, affordable rate. Allowing our team to use their existing mobile or desktop devices without additional hardware for business office phone calls is important, and Skype makes that possible
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Microsoft
Honestly, this tool is worth every penny. Yes, it's not free and you pay for the quality of services and the license. But the ROI and the benefits are all there. Also, the renewal, negotiation, and contract terms are all very well explained by our Microsoft account manager, and she's a charm.
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Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Scalability
Microsoft
It does not appear to have a limit to how many teams and employees we can have using it
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Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Professional Services
Microsoft
I used Skype for Business to take calls, hold conferences, and provide remote assistance to users. Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, is superior to Skype for Business in my opinion. My job entails a lot of screen sharing.
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Discontinued Products
The service provided is up to date, as discussed before buying.
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Return on Investment
Microsoft
  • Because our unit decided to go all in with Microsoft Products, the integration and flow of our communication and files are seamless.
  • Microsoft Teams is very secure. Only those who are logged in with their university credentials can access the files we share and the events we host. Therefore, we don't have to worry about privacy and security for the virtual events we host.
  • If our virtual events are open to the public, joiners outside the organization often struggle to join because Microsoft Teams is not the most familiar tool amongst the public.
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Discontinued Products
  • Skype made keeping in touch with an advisor in Mexico very easy. The initiative there resulted in 5 new partnerships.
  • Skype has helped me with account management for at least 3 customers in LATAM--usually it's a fast way to answer a question about a support renewal.
  • For about 9 months Skype helped me stay in touch with a colleague in Prague. We would meet once a week to go over sales activities.
Read full review
ScreenShots