We use it for our internal communication.
Convenient and easy to use but could be more collaborative
Pros and Cons
- "People are now able to virtually collaborate with their staff and have a conference call. We don't need a phone line to make that conference call and we are saving on that. People are able to share their presentations. Also, they can chat using the Skype"
- "We are looking for a more collaborative tool, not only in terms of virtual meetings but also for teams to collaborate, share a document, work together, and all those types of things."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
In terms of what I have found most valuable - with COVID people are now able to virtually collaborate with their staff and have a conference call. We don't need a phone line to make that conference call and we are saving on that. People are able to share their presentations. Also, they can chat using the Skype. It's not a great tool, but it meets our need right now.
What needs improvement?
We are looking for a more collaborative tool, not only in terms of virtual meetings but also for teams to collaborate, share a document, work together, and all those types of things.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Skype for Business from right when Skype introduced it - many years.
Buyer's Guide
Skype for Business
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about Skype for Business. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
For the last two years, we have been using it and it has been stable. People are not getting dropped out from meetings. We are able to have 50 users in a meeting. It is something that is available as part of our enterprise agreement with Microsoft, so there is no additional cost.
How are customer service and support?
As part of our EA, we have support. Usually we also have a dedicated account manager for any Microsoft product, not just the Skype, if we are not able to get support. We never had any problems with Skype. We never had to call in for technical support since it was set up and running. Periodically, we continue to apply patches and upgrades. So far, we never had any issues and there was never a need to make a call to Microsoft to resolve any issue, but we do have support in place, and if we don't get prompt response, then we have the account manager to escalate and, usually, the account manager is able to assign a technical lead expert to help us resolve the issue in a quick manner.
What other advice do I have?
I think Skype for Business has been discontinued, so I don't think anybody should be interested in implementing it. Microsoft is not selling it anymore, but the product is still supported until the end of 2023.
On a scale of one to ten, I would give Skype for Business a six.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Owner at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees
Great for remote meetings, very stable, and reliable
Pros and Cons
- "There are free versions of the solution available."
- "It would be ideal if the solution could make instant messages more permanent. Currently, if you close the conversation, you lose the instant messages that you shared during the meeting. If those could last beyond the meeting, that would be a great addition, due to the fact that frequently, people give each other key details, important information, or email addresses, etc., during the meeting. If you don't write it down during the meeting, after the meeting closes, it's gone forever. That can be quite frustrating."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for our business meetings.
What is most valuable?
The solution is stable.
There are free versions of the solution available.
What needs improvement?
It would be ideal if the solution could make instant messages more permanent. Currently, if you close the conversation, you lose the instant messages that you shared during the meeting. If those could last beyond the meeting, that would be a great addition, due to the fact that frequently, people give each other key details, important information, or email addresses, etc., during the meeting. If you don't write it down during the meeting, after the meeting closes, it's gone forever. That can be quite frustrating.
The ability for the solution to offer a grid view, so you can see all of the people on a call at the same time, instead of just a few selected ones, would be ideal.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for about a year now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution appears to be quite stable. There aren't bugs or glitches. There aren't any crashes. It doesn't freeze. I would say it's reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Our IT team would handle any scaling that needs to be done. It's not something I have direct experience with.
We have about 20,000 users on the product in our organization currently. Everybody uses it, from the accountant to the CEO.
The number of employees has remained fairly stable for a long time. Right now, they're just maintaining it at the same user level. We haven't had any recent growth. I have no idea if we'll increase usage in the future.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Skype is actually the first tool like this that I have used. Another company I work with is trying out Zoom, but that's fairly recent.
How was the initial setup?
I wasn't a part of the initial setup of the solution. I don't know if it was complex or straightforward. I'm just a user. The IT team is the one that sets it up and configures everything for us. I also can't say if the process of deployment was fast or not or how long the process took.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I'm sure there are licensing fees for it, however, I don't know what they are. I know there are free versions of the solution. However, that probably doesn't apply to us as we have a high number of users in this company.
What other advice do I have?
I'm just a user of the product. I'm not a reseller or an integrator.
I use Skype for Business every day.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. It's been great so far.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Skype for Business
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about Skype for Business. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
System Administrator at Finlays
Integrates well, simple deppoyment, and good support
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Skype for Business is that it has many other tools that you can be integrated with it. It makes the meetings more interactive."
- "The challenge we had with Skype for Business was with the signing in when a user signed out and when signing in back in again, there was a bit of a problem. We switched from Skype for Business to Teams, and Teams never had that sign-in problem once we did the switch."
What is our primary use case?
Skype for Business is used for overall communication and meetings. Our organization is spread across the globe, it makes it easier for people to meet virtually.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Skype for Business is that it has many other tools that you can be integrated with it. It makes the meetings more interactive.
What needs improvement?
The challenge we had with Skype for Business was with the signing in when a user signed out and when signing in back in again, there was a bit of a problem. We switched from Skype for Business to Teams, and Teams never had that sign-in problem once we did the switch.
The interface of Skype for Business could be better. It was not very user-friendly.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Skype for Business for approximately two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of Skype for Business is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Skype for Business is scalable.
We had a license for every user, but the majorly of the people who do meetings, are not so many. We would have meetings for all the staff, and approximately 80 people would attend. However, on average 20 to 30 people would often use it during meetings.
How are customer service and support?
The support from Skype for Business is good.
How was the initial setup?
Skype for Business was simple to implement, but it was a little more involved than Microsoft Teams.
What about the implementation team?
The solution is very simple to implement. It is similar to any other Windows application. There was no need for assistance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We had a license for every one of our users to use Skype for Business. The license we used was part of an overall Microsoft license package.
What other advice do I have?
We switched now from Skype for Business to Teams and the experience has been better.
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate Skype for Business an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Associate professor in accounting at The British University in Egypt
Scalable and easy to install communication tool, but its group feature needs improvement
Pros and Cons
- "Scalable communication tool that's easy to install. Even old people are using it, because of its ease of use."
- "The group feature of Skype for Business needs improvement. It should also be improved for online lectures."
What is our primary use case?
We use Skype for Business as a tool for our online lectures. We're using it as an online platform for the tutorials and lectures we give our students.
What is most valuable?
I find Skype for Business a good solution. It works well. The tool can be nice if I'm talking to one of my colleagues, or doing a small session where I don't have to share content, or where I don't have to divide students to groups, or make a group work together.
What needs improvement?
Skype for Business is not suitable for giving lectures. Tools more suitable for online lectures are Zoom and Microsoft Teams, because you can divide students into groups. I didn't see this feature in Skype for Business, and if it's there, I don't know that it's there.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Skype for Business since COVID-19 started, e.g. 2020. The coronavirus makes us use these technologies extensively.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of Skype for Business is based on the internet, e.g. if your internet is good, then the tool is good. If your internet is not good, then the tool is not good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I find Skype for Business easy to expand. It's scalable.
How was the initial setup?
Installing Skype for Business was easy. We installed in 10 years ago, and we use it like a phone. We call our friends who are abroad, e.g. instead of using international minutes in our mobiles, we use Skype as a technology to call our colleagues. Installation was easy, and its available on mobile and on the computer. I installed Skype for Business myself.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I never paid for a Skype for Business license as it's free on my device, but Zoom, we pay $20 a month.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
What other advice do I have?
I don't have information on how many users can use Skype for Business at the same time, because I didn't use it with students. I used it to call my friends, e.g. just one or two friends, and not more than that number.
I would recommend Skype for Business to others, because it's good. It's a good software to talk to others. Even old people are using the tool.
My rating for Skype for Business is seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Director Of Technology at UNCF
Helpful chat facility and good for internal communications, but call quality and reliability need to improve
Pros and Cons
- "I use the chat feature to communicate with my staff, which is very helpful."
- "Going forward, I would like to see better call quality and reliability."
What is our primary use case?
We use Skype for hosting meetings that are internal to the organization.
How has it helped my organization?
Pre-COVID, we did not use it as much as we do now. Post-COVID, however, all of my staff meetings are now done through the visual interface.
What is most valuable?
I use the chat feature to communicate with my staff, which is very helpful. I'm in a different area of the building than my support team, so a lot of my communications, rather than me running down to their offices or calling them, can be done with Skype.
What needs improvement?
Going forward, I would like to see better call quality and reliability.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Skype for Business since I joined UNCF two years ago.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Different parts of our organization were using Skype and Zoom, and we are trying to standardize the use of solutions for virtual meetings. Zoom is being used for external communication, and Skype for Business is being used internally.
Microsoft Teams is replacing Skype for business and we have also used Amazon Chime.
All of these solutions are different audiences. The first category is internal communications and collaboration, and that would be Skype and Teams. In the next tier, you have external meetings, webinars, and conferences of medium-sized scale. These are within the Zoom realm. Finally, you have virtual events such as registrations and breakout rooms. Although Zoom has that capability, the scale is different, which is where Chime and some of the other products come in.
The tier that Teams and Skype for Business are in, suits that tier. Skype is not about conferences, large meetings, webinars, and the like. It is for people working together online, sharing information, transferring files, and changing the screens depending on who is presenting. It's a collaborative remote use case.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost of Skype for Business is incorporated into our Office 365 licenses.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Microsoft Teams is slated to replace Skype and Skype for Business. It will have a more seamless interface between it and Outlook and the Office 365 suite. It is feature-rich and includes things like a whiteboarding capability. It is easy to use and ties together far more manageable and sophisticated collaboration tools.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution a six out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
IT Infrastructure Systems, Services and Virtualization Specialist at IRISA
A highly-stable and scalable solution with excellent service and support features
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of Skype for Business include its persistent chat, Edge Server, Reverse Proxy, front-end server, back-end server, and business calling capabilities, among others."
- "I believe optimizing the solution for lighter endpoints, particularly for embedded endpoints on mobile devices, would be valuable."
What is our primary use case?
We use it for meter switching and connecting our Skype to the lines. Additionally, we have employed it for one-to-one lines, PRA, video conferencing, and unified communication needs.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of Skype for Business include its persistent chat, Edge Server, Reverse Proxy, front-end server, back-end server, and business calling capabilities, among others.
What needs improvement?
I believe optimizing the solution for lighter endpoints, particularly for embedded endpoints on mobile devices, would be valuable. For instance, the features available on Android endpoints may not be as comprehensive as those on desktop. In the next release of Skype for Business, it would be beneficial to see improvements in its integration with other Microsoft solutions.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for the past eight years when it was known as Lync.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the solution's stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Around 600 people are working with the solution in my area. I rate the solution's scalability an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
The tech support is excellent.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before choosing Skype for Business, we used solutions such as BigBlueButton (BBB) and open source universal communication platforms. We found these alternatives to be effective.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup was complex, and I rate my experience with the setup as a three out of ten. Additionally, the installation process took approximately one to two months from start to finish.
What about the implementation team?
The solution was implemented through an in-house team.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
When it comes to the pricing of the solution, I rate it as a five out of ten. It falls somewhere in the middle between being cheap and expensive.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have experience working with various solutions in the IT field, including Microsoft Active Directory, DNS, IT management, BKMS, and Microsoft Exchange. I'm also working with VMware backup and replication solutions, including automatic verification. Additionally, I'm training in Commvault Backup. I'm also experienced in working with tape libraries and other backup solutions.
What other advice do I have?
I would say that you should be aware that the solution's end-of-life was scheduled for the end of July 2021.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Director Of Information Technology at Multitech Soporte Profesional IT
A user-friendly tool for non-native English speakers, as it includes a translator, but its reporting functionality needs improvement
Pros and Cons
- "Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten...Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
- "The solution lacks to provide reporting functionality, and I would like to see the solution provide that feature."
What is our primary use case?
Sometimes use cases are complicated, while at times, it's for easier use cases. But, the solution's use cases depend on why the employees in the company use it.
How has it helped my organization?
Sometimes, Skype for Business is used for translation purposes, especially since my English is not very good. I have a good skill set, but at times I feel I need to enhance it specifically for the market we are dealing with, such as the oil and gas industry. In this industry, the words used can be different from the common language, which may result in some words not matching the translation, and this is a matter of concern.
What is most valuable?
The simplicity of use is the most valuable feature of the solution. For a long time, with Skype for Business, what you see is what you get. So, the solution is just what we expect.
What needs improvement?
We have several departments in our company, and we have seven lines of business. Our company always has to enhance its processes. The solution lacks to provide reporting functionality, and I would like to see the solution provide that feature. It can help me figure out what I can do. As of now, I am just investigating.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Skype for Business for a long time. Also, I am using the solution's latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Regarding stability, my company has a contract for three more years with a very high budget. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I work for a company that has been around for more than seventy years in the market, and we have been operating for five years since we changed our company's name. However, our business now has seven lines of business. I am focused on business development, so I am looking for solutions that help me quickly carry the company to a very good position and achieve good results. Hence, I am looking for new solutions with artificial intelligence. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Apart from me, two more people in my company use Skype for Business. To increase the usage in the future, I am looking into other solutions.
How are customer service and support?
I never received any kind of support from Skype for Business.
How was the initial setup?
When it comes to deployment, some of our clients use online services, but in cases where their location is very far away from civilization, we may need to disconnect those services. In such situations, we may need to replicate some forms or data and then synchronize them back in the office.
Regarding the initial setup process, if one is an expert, then the process is simple.
What was our ROI?
Regarding ROI, I don't see much problem with paying if I need the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is priced fairly.
What other advice do I have?
My company has seven lines of businesses, and one of those is service. We always need to maintain records, evidence, and customization in the service business. Usually, we need complete information quickly, so maybe we can make forms or look for a lot of opportunities in the solution to help us.
I would like to have more experience with Skype for Business. So, if someone uses the solution, I use it with them. Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Works at TechnipFMC
Cut long distance costs while connecting with clients anywhere in the world
Pros and Cons
- "Using this solution has helped us to cut long distance calls, as well as video services from third parties."
- "Skype for Business is good for the PCs with higher bandwidth, but an improvement is required for low bandwidth usage."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution for meetings and scheduling. Our meetings involve audio or video. These take place with outside clients at any place in the world.
How has it helped my organization?
Using this solution has helped us to cut long distance calls, as well as video services from third parties. We have the option to use this solution even for local calls.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features include video meetings with clients, scheduling multi-party meetings, and keeping track of meetings with each client.
What needs improvement?
Skype for Business is good for the PCs with higher bandwidth, but an improvement is required for low bandwidth usage.
For how long have I used the solution?
Less than one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I feel that the stability of this solution is very good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
My impression is that the scalability is very good.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support for this product is very good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, we used Lotus Notes Chat, but it is not as powerful as Skype for Business.
How was the initial setup?
It was a little bit complex to setup, but the usage is not.
What about the implementation team?
Our implementation was done thought the vendor's team, and they were knowledgeable.
What was our ROI?
Our return of investment was over a two year period.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It may be slightly costly, but the features are awesome.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We did not evaluate other products before choosing Skype for Business.
What other advice do I have?
I do not have any specific advice, other than improvement in the app is required.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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