Skype for Business better than the normal Skype
May 16, 2016

Skype for Business better than the normal Skype

Samuel Laflamme | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Skype for Business

We use Skype for Business mostly for 1 one 1 conversations and for team video calls. Most of our Sales and Marketing department are using it, but our R&D department likes Slack better. We like Skype because it's easy to use (everybody has a personal Skype) and it's integrated to the Office suite as of 2010. We also use the voice calling part of it. It makes calls easy when abroad.

Pros

  • Easy to use. Everybody knows Skype/Lync/MSN Messenger.
  • Search in the directory for when you don't know the full name of the other person.
  • Pictures. You can easily look up someone to see what they look like when you're brand new in the company.
  • iOS and Android apps for Skype on the go.
  • Integration with Outlook for availability.

Cons

  • Copy and Paste. We had some issues in the past for coping some code into Skype/Lync.
  • Group meetings. It's not easy to organize group meetings like in Slack.
  • Screen Sharing. It's really bad for troubleshooting someone. No elevated privilege.
  • Conversation History. Sometimes conversations stop saving because of a bug. We call MS support and there is no fix for the moment.
  • Mac. On Mac, it's still Lync 2011 even if there is an Office 2016.
  • It's help people to reach each other way faster than by email.
  • It's help scheduling on the fly meetings.
  • It's help our team to be all across the continent for doing a meeting.
Skype for Business is easier to maintain in an all Microsoft environment. It syncs better with the AD and Outlook. Video and Audio calls are way better than the beta on Slack. On the mobile apps side, Slack clearly wins. Skype for Business has a really bulky apps on either Android or iPhone devices.
Skype for Business is better suited for one on one conversation. It's not suited for group thinking. For IT, it helps us know who is in the office with the current status of everybody (Available/Away/Occupy). With Federated Skype, our support team and sales team can chat with clients who also have Skype for Business.

Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams Feature Ratings

High quality audio
7
High quality video
7
Low bandwidth requirements
5
Desktop sharing
2
Whiteboards
5
Calendar integration
7
Meeting initiation
8
Record meetings / events
5
Live chat
9

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