Item: Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams
Rating: 8
Author: Philip Chan

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

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.

Pros and Cons

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.

Return on Investment

It is still an essential communication tool for daily use and it makes online communication such a breeze.
One-on-one chat is still the best of its class.
Audio chatting and video sharing feature is still so much to be desired.
Integration with Microsoft has been great and very intuitive.

Alternatives Considered

Zoom, Cisco Webex Calling and Microsoft Teams

Skype still has its own place when it comes to the chatting apps competition. Its integration with Microsoft and other tools like Outlook makes it very intuitive and easy to use. I like the "show status" a lot too and it tells me whether a person is busy or available for discussion. It doesn't take up a lot of real estate on your screen like other tools so that's a bonus for me. The pros are definitely worth it to look past some of its shortcomings like the quality of the screen sharing feature.

Key Insights

Do you think Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams's feature set?

Yes

Did Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), MS SharePoint, Bluebeam Revu

Likelihood to Recommend

Skype is still my go-to when it comes to having a quick chat online with my colleague at work. I can simply search (or find it from my favorite list) a name, double chat on it, and start typing my message to ask questions, collaborate with my teammate right away. I just love how easy it is to use it on a daily basis. This works very well on a one-on-one chat; however, when it involves a number of people, the chat window can be very confusing and chaotic. It lacks the "quote" feature like you have on your phone messaging app. The conversation can get lost if there is a group discussion involves more than 3 people.

My Skype for Business: Still one of my favs for chatting with professionals

Overall Satisfaction with Skype for Business (formerly Lync)