Beyond expectation
Limited features for business collaboration find it lacking in terms of advanced features.Business depend heavily on communication tools …
Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft TeamsFormerly Lync
Overview
What is Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams?
Skype for Business was an online messaging and conferencing tool, now superseded by Microsoft Teams.
Recent Reviews
Awards
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Popular Features
- Desktop sharing (189)8.888%
- High quality audio (188)8.080%
- High quality video (183)7.777%
- Low bandwidth requirements (180)6.666%
Reviewer Pros & Cons
Pricing
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What is Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams?
Skype for Business was an online messaging and conferencing tool, now superseded by Microsoft Teams.
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- No setup fee
Offerings
- Free Trial
- Free/Freemium Version
- Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Alternatives Pricing
What is Microsoft Teams?
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.
What is GoTo Connect?
GoToConnect, from GoTo, is a cloud-based business phone system with built-in web-based video conferencing solutions. It includes features such as call analytics, call recording, softphone, fax to email, voicemail to email, and desktop integration.
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Product Details
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- Tech Details
- FAQs
What is Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams?
Skype for Business was a unified communications tool superseded by Microsoft Teams.
For personal use, Skype Desktop and Mobile apps are still available for download, but for business functionality the vendor now fully supports Microsoft Teams as the replacement for Skype for Business.
Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams Technical Details
| Operating Systems | Unspecified |
|---|---|
| Mobile Application | No |
Frequently Asked Questions
Skype for Business was an online messaging and conferencing tool, now superseded by Microsoft Teams.
Reviewers rate Live chat highest, with a score of 9.2.
The most common users of Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).
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Reviews and Ratings
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Reviews
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December 07, 2022
How could I work without Skype/Microsoft Teams?
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We used to have Skype as the main internal chat tool at the company. I remember liking it since the beginning - it is very easy to use, and I had complete familiarity with my personal account for many, many years. The fact that it is integrated with all the other Microsoft applications makes it very useful; I am always connected to the people in my organization. We use it internally for daily chatting, file exchange, and virtual meetings. The only "problem" I could see is the interface - compared to Microsoft Teams' look and feel, Skype is not really nice (but we could just only notice later!).
- Instantaneous messaging.
- Emojis
- Video calls.
- Activity records.
- Notifications (email and app notifications).
- Customization of user's display (colors, photo, quick links etc).
- Export chat records.
- No video recording expiration.
- Voice -to-text for chat messages.
- Better meeting/call schedule experience.
October 26, 2022
"Reliable communication application, offers seamless integrations, and has numerous features."
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Skype for Business has become our organization's de facto standard for internal communication across our departments. It lets us share screens, make voice and video calls, and update office status. It has screen-sharing, file transfer, video calling, and group calling, we use Office 365, and Outlook handles email and calendars. I appreciate how the uncluttered dialer and lightning-fast contact recognition are consistent across all of our devices and how easy it is to navigate. Its unique emojis are instantly recognizable and memorable and have many more characters. This program's features—including texting, calling, and integrating with international and local lines—make it worthwhile for professionals without overwhelming them.
- It is an installation-friendly, scalable communication tool.
- It enables more accessible internal communication, safe content sharing, and collaboration.
- Very interactive, with a wide range of functions, including informal workplace instant messaging.
- The intuitiveness with which one can interact with the software has fantastic UI and video call quality.
- It cannot communicate with an offline user, and sometimes, calling lags.
- It is necessary to make improvements to the group functionality.
- The chat history is erased upon closing the chat window; it's less functional than Zoom.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We use Skype for Business as one of the best ways to
connect. We can use it anywhere, boosting communication. It is excellent for
chats, calls, and videoconferencing, but I can also remotely access other
users' desktops to help them as if I were there. The adaptability of the
meetings held by our organization has vastly improved as a direct result of
this development. We can use it on our laptops or desktop computer and phone.
Skype for Business's ability to be set up on mobile devices and laptops is one
of its most appealing features. As far as tools go, Skype for Business is
right up there.
- Easy group formation.
- Office 365-compatible.
- Interviews are easy to start.
- Remote screen-sharing is easy.
- Excellent sound quality and user-friendly.
- Cross-platform synchronization is possible.
- Sometimes login takes too long.
- Video calls need more bandwidth.
- Screen sharing is causing the host trouble.
April 28, 2022
Great communication tool overall.
In my role, Skype has been useful for team meetings and gatherings. During the work from home part of my employment, it was a necessary tool, as my role included skype calls in order to help internal employees with general tech issues.
- Easy Communication.
- Simple to use when set up.
- Good user interface.
- Good integration with other Microsoft product like Outlook.
- Connection issues can be hard to diagnose when they come up(as some knowledge of server information may be needed to reestablish as the connection troubleshooting options on the sky are not as user-friendly as the rest of the platform.
- Some issues setting up camera/sound could use more info on troubleshooting options with playback sound, video, etc.
- Statuses sometimes are unreliable and do not display correctly .
March 21, 2022
Skype Review
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Skype for Business had an excellent use case. since we were using Microsoft products for Collaboration, the integration was seamless. the organization seamlessly moved from another product to Skype. The migration and transition was extremely satisfying feeling.
The functionality is well integrated with other Office 356 programs
The functionality is well integrated with other Office 356 programs
- set do not disturb during meeting after check the show me as do not disturb when i share my desktop it is available in Skype for business settings inside the status.
- you can record all video's chatting very easily in case you need to remember conversation than you will get it all with the help of video recorder and also you can set resolation.
- you can open easily Skype meeting calendar in your outlook directly
- we can share power point and word files for viewing your team members it is very useful feature.
- Documentation is not the best. It has t
- Messaging is not available in chronological order which is not easy to comprehend
- Sometimes users have not been able to make video calls, the need to restart the Skype app, unable to send messages. these issues have to be fixed first.
January 26, 2022
Skype for Business - Review
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Microsoft Skype for Business has solved instant messaging and video conferencing challenges, specifically throughout the pandemic. The majority of our meetings are conducted with Skype for Business. There are different features you can benefit from including the ability to present your desktop or PowerPoint slides, as well as using a whiteboard for drawings.
- Video conferencing
- Instant messaging
- Desktop presentation
- Integration with Exchange server
- From my experience, the offline instant messaging is not good
- Client applications on mobile devices suffer performance issues
- There are problems when the number of people in a single session goes over 300
January 10, 2022
"Great Communication Tool At The Click Of A Button."
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Skype for Business is imperative that we use it in our organization during this uncertain time. A good thing about Excel and Outlook is how well they work with each other. During a meeting, switching between mobile and desktop is smooth. At the start of a meeting, useful reminders or notifications are sent. The interface is reminiscent of a sequence of Google Docs and GoToMeeting. I can do so much with this software and with my colleagues. It’s easy to tag people in chats using the Android app, which is user-friendly. Messages can be made “important” to get everyone’s attention. When I left Zoom for Microsoft, security concerns were a major factor in my decision. Connecting to my email provider is convenient, and the software is easy to use.
- Sharing presentations amongst participants and integration with other Microsoft products is a great feature.
- Each team has multiple channels for different topics and excels at graphical input.
- Other apps also help improve workflow, and participants can easily add their content and comment on it.
- More emoticons for messages and faster client upgrades would be nice.
- With low bandwidth internet connections, it appears that platform integration is problematic.
- Automatic transcription of audio and presence sharing between Skype and Microsoft Teams would be nice features.
January 07, 2022
Skype Business = Microsoft Teams = Power play!
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I use Skype as part of Microsoft teams, business issues that this addresses since covid began it has been the new "meeting" standard and is used on a daily basis to connect with colleagues and clients.
- Video playback is excellent.
- No robotic voices or disconnects with sound.
- Ease of use.
- Would like to see more gifs added as well as improved emojis.
- A place in which you could save templates within the app for ease of access.
- Voice note functionality for PC and not just mobile.
November 13, 2021
Uniqueness goes beyond the boundaries of communication
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We use this tool because it is compatible with all Microsoft products. We used to use Skype for Business (formerly Lync), now part of Microsoft Teams, to call and text our colleagues. We still use Skype for Business, but we don't use it nearly as much as we'd like to. Using it is more enjoyable because of its unique features, and it works seamlessly with Microsoft Outlook and other office applications. The UI is simple and easy to understand. With one click, we can join a team or chat with someone in groups, rather than open an app, search for the person, and then call or text them.
- Organizations will appreciate the simple user interface and seamless integration with other Microsoft products with this excellent instant messaging app.
- Teams can have multiple channels for different topics and make video calls and phone calls, and all communication is well organized within each Team.
- Sharing documents is as simple as dragging and dropping them into a chat window. We can form our groups in a precise manner.
- Integration with third-party apps and the ease with which it can be escalated to higher levels of communication also aid in streamlining workflow.
- The conference call quality could be better, and it is expensive compared to other similar apps.
- There are problems with connectivity in large meetings and the number of people who can attend is restricted.
- File sharing and VoIP use a lot of bandwidth. Searching for old messages is a problem right from the start. Unfortunately, the search function is not practical.
November 12, 2021
Enterprise large scale collaboration tool - although it's slowly getting to be a dinosaur
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Skype for [Business] is the default communication tool used across our organization for all parallels - Tech, Finance, HR. Even interviews for our firm are done via the platform. A major part of our office infrastructure depends on Office 365 suite and [using] Outlook for mails and calendars. Thus, the need was for an instant communication platform, customizable for enterprise, that could integrate well with these, and what better option than another Microsoft product. Skype makes it easy to reach out to any person within the firm via just her/his name or email ID, start instant chats, retrieve them via outlook, share screens, video calls, and voice calls - all of which are used roughly 20-30 times a day on average by an average employee. For an organization with over 90000 employees, a tool that could integrate well with the existing Outlook infrastructure, and provide a means for communication, voice and video calls, screen sharing, and office status (Available/Busy/OOO etc), Skype was the best possible option. Noteworthy that Skype for [Business] was started being used at a time when MS Teams was not launched yet.
- Instant messaging to anyone who we know only by name/email. Even if they're offline, they get the message in missed convos and a notification automatically goes to them via Outlook mail. All conversations are saved and accessible via Outlook.
- Video and voice calls are a norm in the WFH scenario, and an average employee has around 4-5 calls a day. Skype gives notifications for upcoming meetings, allows easy scheduling via outlook calendar, and its audio/video quality [is] reasonably good compared to the amount of data it consumes.
- Status availabilities - in the WFH scenario, you could be off for lunch, out of office, busy, sharing screens - and might not want to be disturbed. Skype allows you to do that, and in case you're off, ensures that you know that you have missed messages.
- Screen sharing - we have to share screens at least once or twice a day with a coworker when working on some issues/features, and Skype easily lets us do that. One of the best things about Skype is that the screen can be shared without being on a video/voice call - which is of immense advantage because oftentimes, you could prefer sharing the screen, while it [is] too noisy to talk.
- Skype's UI leaves a lot to be desired, especially considering newer platforms like Zoom, Teams, Slack, Meet, and so on. It's slow and lacks many features that are now de facto in the newer communication apps.
- Skype calendar also is often buggy - meeting times do not get updated on the calendar even if the correct time does come up on the Outlook calendar.
- It does not give you the option to mute chats - oftentimes, you want to keep some group chats on mute without leaving them entirely.
- Closing off a chat before it's saved will remove it from Skype history. You'd need to go search for it on Outlook mail.
August 09, 2021
Minimal UI and easy to use application
Skype for business used to be our sole communication tool within our organization. It offers the best video calling and conferences experience. We use this extensive company-wide. It is easily integrated with outlook and other office apps. It has a simple UI with a minimalistic feel to it. It lacks many features that are being offered in most of the communication tools these days. It has quite a classic appeal to it.
- Integration with outlook
- Alerts and missed conversation notification
- Saves conversation in mail
- Ability to configure time for online availablity
- Great for video calls
- No dark mode
- Updates are not regular
- No noise cancellation feature in calls
- Cluttered chat windows
- Cant send large files
- No stickers or GIFs support in chat
July 14, 2021
Great option for Microsoft Office users
We use this tool across the entire organization as it integrates well with other Microsoft products that we use. This integration is great as it allows information (like availability, contact details, etc) to be shared across platforms. One can join a meeting in Teams or chat with someone with just a click rather than going through multiple steps of opening a new app, looking for the person, and then calling/messaging them.
- Integration across other Microsoft products is great feature.
- All communication is well organized within individual Teams and each team can have multiple channels for different topics.
- Integration with third party apps also helps improve workflow.
- Doesn't seem to work well with low bandwidth internet connections.
- Automatic transcription of audio would be a nice feature to have.
- More emoticons to react to messages would be nice.
June 13, 2021
Okay app for IM
Skype for business was the foremost used instant messaging and video calling software used in my organization.
Previously it was used by whole organization but now it is limited to various teams in the organization, as another software are being used now.
Skype is used to share messages between colleagues, teammates any internal team messages. It is very easy to install and use.
Previously it was used by whole organization but now it is limited to various teams in the organization, as another software are being used now.
Skype is used to share messages between colleagues, teammates any internal team messages. It is very easy to install and use.
- Very good instant messaging app f[o]r organi[z]ations with minimal UI.
- Easy to make video calls, phone calls.
- One can share screen with everyone you are calling, helpful in case of showing presentation or giving lectures.
- We can even make calls to particular phone number through Skype for Business.
- Can share documents and files over Skype for Business app.
- In todays scenario it is bit costly compared to other similar apps available in market.
- UI is way too old. It needs redevelopment.
- Searching old messages is problematic from [the] start of using this app. Search doesn't work good.
- Number of person able to attend meeting is limited.
June 11, 2021
Skype for Business Review
We are using Skype for Business in our organization for business majorly for secure internet calls. Most of the Professors are doing their research work and for that they have to be in touch with the researchers from around the globe. We are also using it to communicate with our development team who is working on the deployment and regular maintenance of the software we are using on the campus. Accept that during this pandemic time we are using it for interview purpose.
- Safe and secure Internet calls
- It is integrated with office 365
- Mobile UI is relatively simple and easy to use
- File sharing and VOIP requires really good bandwidth
- Definitely needs improvements in conference calls quality
May 18, 2021
Works well, but perhaps lacking more features
Our organization used Skype as the main messaging application across the entire organization globally for all employees. They are installed by default on all user machines and used as the primary instant messaging software for communication between teams and employees.
- Established name
- Simple and easy to use
- Call quality is good
- Not as many features as some other software
Skype for Business is used across the organisation for VOIP telephony, instant messaging, screen sharing and video. As a collaboration tool it has been used for meetings, one to one calls and quick messaging.
- Instant messaging is clear, quick, and easy to use.
- Internal telephony call quality on Skype for Business is generally quite good.
- Screen sharing is easy to do including selecting specific monitors if you happen to be using more than one.
- Probably the biggest area is the video element as it has historically struggled in this area.
- The need to be forced to federate with another organisation by providing yours and enabling the other organisation settings is a bit tedious but once done, allows for simple collaboration between third-parties.
- Functionality wise, as it's an older product and being superseded by MS Teams, it feels as if it's run its course but was very good for what it does/did at the time.
[Our organization is using Skype for Business (formerly Lync)] for medium to large sized video calls and conferences with some of the manufacturers we represent. The group chat option helps to facilitate a smoother flow of conversation as it enables people to have "side conversations" without disrupting the presentation being put forth to the group as a whole. Very similar in nature to other video conferencing software. Some additional benefits.
- Group Chat option allows multiple people to have a conversation away from the main presentation
- Integration with Microsoft Office allows easy usage of excel, PowerPoint and other MS programs
- Easy calendar integration for Microsoft Outlook
- Mobile interface is very easy and intuitive
- Intermittently seems to have a lot of trouble maintaining a connection, clarity will suffer due to this
- Security is weak compared to others
- Browser based version is not ideal, can be problematic, especially for those in rural areas
Skype for Business was heavily used by my organization until Teams reached (mostly) feature parity. We still have some users that haven't completed the migration to Teams - this will be complete by the end of the month as Skype for Business Online is being phase[d] out for Microsoft Teams effective July 31, 2021. It is impossible to recommend a product that is going end of life in less than two months.
- Included with most Microsoft 365 packages.
- Integrates with Outlook and other Microsoft apps.
- Integration with Skype (consumer) is terrible.
- Interface is very old - not intuitive.
- Doesn't support advanced call handling like Teams.
May 03, 2021
Skype for Business is riding towards the sunset.
We started using Skype for Business [(formerly Lync)] as a replacement tool for Cisco WebEx, specifically for webinar hosting and customer service assistance. With a company that has four separate business divisions, we hosted webinars quite regularly. With multiple customer service teams, use of the platform for system troubleshooting where our customers could share their screen and show us their issues were quite common as well.
- Conference video calling
- Screen sharing
- Meeting scheduling, especially because of the plugin for Microsoft Outlook
- Reporting, especially if you are in need of knowing who logged in and participated in a session
- The browser-based application (for those that didn't want to download the desktop app) always seemed to have issues for our clients in other locations of the country
- Call clarity was frequently not good, and sometimes the meeting organizer/host couldn't even get audio connected.
May 03, 2021
Simpler and streamlined video conferencing app
We use Skype for Business across the whole organization to share information and get updates on anything related to work. It makes the communication among us streamlined and enjoyable. we can send files, pictures, and screen sharing during the video call to share our work or presentation. It is makes working from home much easier.
- can do messaging with picture and video sharing options
- screen sharing during video call is very convenient
- program is stable rarely has downtimes
- this shouldn't be a complaint but i wish Skype has better emotes
Skype is still widely used in the company as a quick messenger type of chat to ask questions, get help and use for communication. It's an easy-to-use platform that allows users to quickly get their message out to others.
- Sending short and quick message is so easy.
- Attach small size files like image and other formats like Word, Excel works very well.
- Being able to view the previous messages actually works quite well.
- I think sending attachments to group chat can be confusing, definitely could use some improvement.
- Live video call and share screen features also have room for improvement, the constant lag becomes very annoying to the users.
- Video quality (in resolution) is still not the best compared to other leading web conferencing software.
April 28, 2021
Conferencing On The Go!
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We use Skype to conduct a lot of our meetings with our partners abroad, where we can share screen/send files/text message all within this one application.
- Crystal clear screen sharing.
- File sharing that is not limited to images only.
- Voice calls
- mobile application can be improved to run on low end devices better
We sometimes host conferences or virtual meetings with Skype for Business, though we usually only use it when another org insists. We rely on Zoom more often, due to stronger security features and the sensitive nature of our work, as well as regular Skype when we need to "call" people into meetings. Both versions of Skype are primarily used when we think that the the security trade-offs are worth the ease of adding users without an internet connection or smartphone.
- Easy to add people to a call.
- Easy screen-sharing and other hosting actions.
- Skype in general is probably still the most internationally-known teleconferencing software.
- It has the worst security of any teleconferencing apps we use; a huge problem in our line of work.
- Logging in is always a nightmare for some reason.
- Need totally separate software to use Skype for Business vs regular ol' Skype; you'd think they could just layer them both into one system.
April 25, 2021
Excellent for remote work!
We use this product firm-wide. We use it for all of our calling and messaging needs. This product really saved us during the pandemic when we were all forced to go remote. Just plug in a headset and bam you have a full feature phone that you can use.
- Messaging
- Calling
- Meetings
- None that I can think of
April 25, 2021
A communication app that woks well.
Internal meetings and webinars are hosted by our marketing department using Skype for Business (formerly Lync) conference. This is a wonderful free interchange meet-up, particularly for pandemic days where we won't all be available at the same time. Its sound quality is exceptional, making it suitable for synchronized substance and conversation exchanges on internet services.
- If you need to chat with colleagues easily and conveniently, Skype for Business (formerly Lync) is ideal. The Outlook integration is fantastic.
- Participants can securely be welcome to the meeting by sharing links.
- Collaboration is greatly facilitated by screen sharing and the opportunity to provide meetings.
- The ability to send images, folders, and documents easily.
- It will take some time for the screen to reset. text buffering can be excruciating at time[s].
- It's not easy to share large files.
- When I have several chats open at the time, Skype becomes unresponsive.