More powerful than people realize
January 18, 2018

More powerful than people realize

Amanda Kraft | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Skype for Business

Our office recently switched to an open 360 format. Skype for Business has helped us manage short person to person or group conversations instead of having loud conversations in an open office or exchanging multiple emails. We also use it to have side conversations or exchange documents when on calls or in meetings. Most of the dialogue is professional in nature but it is also a way to connect privately with a colleague to get a quick opinion or send a meme/emoji.
  • Sending example text or documents quickly without adding to email back-log.
  • Allowing side conversations during meetings and calls.
  • We use it organization-wide so I can contact a colleague when they may be on the phone or in a meeting. (My boss is always in a meeting but will respond to me instantly via Skype...as long as she is actually in front of her computer.
  • More people are working from home or remotely and we can set our contact mode to sync with our Outlook calenders to let people know where we are and when we will be available....and for how long we have been away from our computer.
  • Currently, my "favorite" contacts are organized alphabetically which can lead to contacting the wrong person. I wish it would organize my list by most contacted.
  • Anything that allows people to work more efficiently is a big win in my book. Skype for Business is easy to use and implement which is better than many of the industry-specific tools available in commercial real estate.
I wasn't the decision maker who selected the product but I would be sad if our company no longer provided it as a standard tool. I find it easier to use than GoTo Meeting or similar products but I still use traditional call-in conference lines because our older staff and customers prefer it.
It's ideal for quick, less official, inter-office communication. It is less suitable for conversations outside of our organization where you want an easy record of the conversation, documents exchanged and who was included in the communication. It is also tempting for younger staff to use it to gossip like other social media tools. I've had to council staff on the appropriate uses.

Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams Feature Ratings

High quality audio
9
High quality video
8
Low bandwidth requirements
7
Mobile support
Not Rated
Desktop sharing
8
Whiteboards
7
Calendar integration
8
Meeting initiation
7
Integrates with social media
Not Rated
Record meetings / events
8
Slideshows
7
Live chat
Not Rated
Audience polling
Not Rated
Q&A
Not Rated
User authentication
Not Rated
Participant roles & permissions
Not Rated
Confidential attendee list
Not Rated