Skype for your Business
August 15, 2019

Skype for your Business

Cristian Bodnarasec | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Skype for Business (formerly Lync)

We use Skype for Business at eSilicon in all departments, for 500+ users. We were using it for both instant messaging and conferencing (audio and video) but since last year, we are using it mostly for instant messaging, since we got a better tool for audio/video conferencing. For instant messaging, Skype for Business is still preferred over the new tool.
  • Instant messaging -- one thing that Skype for Business does well on the desktop application.
  • It's easy to use.
  • Good enough quality for audio and video conferencing.
  • Office integration. Personally, I love the button "Join Meeting" from the popup reminder before a Lync meeting.
  • The biggest issue in Lync is the screen sharing during conferencing. It disconnects many times, and even when it is working, the delay is annoying.
  • Mobile app and desktop app don't sync up very well. You can end up having parts of the conversation in both places.
  • It is constantly slow in connecting first time when changing network connections, like connect/disconnect to a VPN network.
  • It increased the collaboration inside the teams. Even if team members are inside the same office they may use Lync to talk just to keep the environment quiet.
  • It increased the collaboration across continents -- we have offices around the world and distributed teams. Using Lync made possible the feeling of unified teams.
  • It made it possible to interact more closely with people from other companies -- customers and suppliers that use Lync as well. You can have those users in your colleagues list.
Skype for Business is great for instant messaging, with some minor issues. It has an acceptable quality for audio and video conferencing. Its integration with Microsoft Office is a big plus.
The one that is a real setback is the screen sharing during conferences, which can be really annoying to watch if it doesn't disconnect too often.
Did not use support
Before Skype for Business, we were using Skype and we needed more. At that time, Skype didn't have screen sharing capabilities and had some quality issues with audio and video conferencing. When we started using Lync, the difference in the quality of audio alone was so big that we couldn't believe it.
Skype for Business can be used successfully for instant messaging and audio/video conferencing. Its integration with Office makes it a lot easier to connect to meetings and see the user's status in Outlook emails. While for screen sharing during conferences you can find better tools, you can still pick Skype for Business and be successful with it.

Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams Feature Ratings

High quality audio
10
High quality video
9
Low bandwidth requirements
5
Mobile support
5
Desktop sharing
2
Whiteboards
Not Rated
Calendar integration
10
Meeting initiation
10
Integrates with social media
Not Rated
Record meetings / events
6
Slideshows
Not Rated
Live chat
10
Audience polling
Not Rated
Q&A
Not Rated
User authentication
Not Rated
Participant roles & permissions
8
Confidential attendee list
Not Rated