Skype: Simple Communication for Internal Teams
February 12, 2016

Skype: Simple Communication for Internal Teams

Sara Aldworth | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Skype for Business

We use Skype for Business across our organization to make it simple for our team to IM, call each other or present our screens in virtual meetings. Since it is rare for us to all be in the office at the same time, Skype for Business makes it easier for us to collaborate.

Pros

  • I keep the Skype for Business window up and on all day, so it makes it really easy for me to see who's online and available - just one click and I can IM or call a colleague from my computer.
  • Being able to share my screen and being present during meetings is also simple - it makes working from home seamless.
  • I also like the integration with Outlook. I can schedule meetings right from the Skype for Business window.

Cons

  • I just recently realized I could record a meeting with Skype for Business. I like that feature but had to go looking for it when I thought it would be useful.
  • On occasion, I've seen colleagues drop off of Skype for Business calls. Not sure if that was due to their own connectivity issues or Skype itself, but that can be frustrating for all parties involved in a meeting.
  • Using Skype for Business has a positive impact on efficiency for me and my colleagues. Being able to instantly reach out and connect via chat or a call is about as close as it gets to swinging by their desk.
As a freelancer, I used Google Hangouts to chat, video conference and collaborate with my clients. In my current full-time role, Skype for Business was already in place, so there wasn't much of a decision for me to make. However, I do miss the ability to actively collaborate on documents in real-time during Hangouts. I think Google has the edge on Skype for Business in that regard.
Skype for Business works for our internal team and we've had some success with people outside our organization using it to connect with us. The challenge we've found when inviting someone outside our organization to Skype with us on a meeting is their inability to share their screen. Not sure why this bug happens, but until we sort it out, I think Skype for Business works better for our internal group.

Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams Feature Ratings

High quality audio
10
High quality video
Not Rated
Low bandwidth requirements
Not Rated
Desktop sharing
10
Whiteboards
Not Rated
Calendar integration
10
Meeting initiation
10
Integrates with social media
Not Rated
Record meetings / events
10
Live chat
Not Rated
Audience polling
Not Rated
User authentication
Not Rated
Participant roles & permissions
Not Rated
Confidential attendee list
Not Rated

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