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Ato Abonalla - PeerSpot reviewer
Cybersecurity Solution Architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Reliable, offers seamless integrations, and has many features
Pros and Cons
  • "I like the seamless integration to local telecommunications."
  • "I don't recall coming across any big missing features."

What is our primary use case?

This is our primary application for virtual meetings. However, we have MS Teams and the company is positioned to use more of MS Teams going forward. Skype is more of a chat application nowadays. 

What is most valuable?

I like the seamless integration to local telecommunications. We can call local numbers in different countries, and pretty much call anyone who is within the same system using Skype. If I'm not mistaken, it can also add people to my list (from my personal contacts) that are using Skype. 

What needs improvement?

It does everything I really need it to do. I don't recall coming across any big missing features. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used Skype for Business for as long as I can remember. I started using that more than five years ago.

Buyer's Guide
Skype for Business
March 2025
Learn what your peers think about Skype for Business. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
842,767 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable. I haven't experienced any problems while I've been on a call, for example, or in a meeting. It's pretty reliable and the performance is good. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I've never had the chance to really scale it. I can't speak to how well it can expand. 

We have about 1,000 people using the solution right now. 

How are customer service and support?

I've never really dealt with technical support. I can't speak to how they are in terms of helpfulness or responsiveness. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We also use MS Teams. I also have some experience with Cisco. 

When I came to this company, they were using Skype, so I adopted it. I didn't migrate over to something else with any other purpose in mind. 

How was the initial setup?

I'm merely a user of Skype. I did not handle the initial setup. 

What about the implementation team?

My colleague handled the implementation. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I'm not sure what the licensing costs are for the product. It's not an aspect of the solution that I handle. 

What other advice do I have?

We do have a partnership with Microsoft and are integrators. 

The company will push out the newest version and purchase it. I'm pretty sure we are using the latest version.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. 

I would recommend the solution to other users and companies. 

I'd advise users to try to familiarize themselves with the features so that they can get the most out of Skype. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Technology Manager at City of Markham
Real User
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?

We use it for our internal communication.

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.

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.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Skype for Business
March 2025
Learn what your peers think about Skype for Business. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
842,767 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Manager Global Business Development at Trigent Software Ltd
Real User
Calling features and screen sharing are good features; sound quality and clarity need improvement
Pros and Cons
  • "The calling features are most valuable, especially now as we are working remotely."
  • "There are issues with the bandwidth, particularly for external meetings,"

What is our primary use case?

Skype is mainly used for our internal meetings. We have it set up for all the different groups in the company, whether it's my IFC, the marketing team, pre-sales team, senior leadership, etc. We're using the product at least once a day and everybody in the company uses it. We're customers of Skype and I'm the manager of global business development. 

What is most valuable?

The calling features are the most valuable, especially now as we are working remotely  because of this pandemic. The screen sharing aspect is also a valuable feature. For example, if we need to explain something internally or deliver a presentation internally, being able to share the screen is a huge benefit. We also use Google Meet for that, so it's dual usage for us.

What needs improvement?

We have issues with the Skype bandwidth, particularly for external meetings, which is why we also use Google Meet. Also, the sound quality of Skype is not great - there is a constant background humming noise. Clarity is essential, especially in our planning meetings. We can't rely on Skype for that and that's why we sometimes use Google Meet instead. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been at this company for three months and that's how long I've been using the solution. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The system is somewhat stable although there's the issue of the background noise and it's not always clear who is talking. Following the flow of a meeting can become a bit tricky when a lot of people are involved.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable in that we can sometimes have up to 30 people participating in a meeting. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We currently use both Skype and Google Meet. Google Meet is very user friendly with good voice quality. We can record our calls and then share screens when we're making a presentation. It's an easier solution than Skype even though we use both platforms. 
For our external client meetings we use Google Meet and internally we use Skype. 

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution a six out of 10. 

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.
PeerSpot user
reviewer2280225 - PeerSpot reviewer
Associate Manager at a marketing services firm with 51-200 employees
Real User
Top 20
Enhanced meeting efficiency with robust muting functionality and better video quality
Pros and Cons
  • "The ability to mute everyone else is pretty useful when there is a large audience."
  • "The video quality could be improved, possibly due to internet connection issues."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use Skype for Business for meetings and internal discussions.

What is most valuable?

The ability to mute everyone else is pretty useful when there is a large audience. It is more stable, and the video quality is better compared to other communication platforms.

What needs improvement?

The video quality could be improved, possibly due to internet connection issues. However, there is no significant weakness in Skype for Business.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Skype for Business for about a year or so.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Skype for Business is stable without experiencing crashes, unlike Teams, which crashes occasionally during meetings.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Skype for Business offers good scalability and does not crash when the number of audience members increases.

How are customer service and support?

Skype support is responsive. I would rate their support around seven to eight.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

What about the implementation team?

Our internal IT team handled the installation of Skype for Business on my system.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Skype for Business is affordable and has decent pricing. The video quality is a bit lower than Teams or Zoom, but it remains a good solution overall.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We use Microsoft products for our business processes. We also use Teams and Zoom for meetings.

What other advice do I have?

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Husam ALBAROUDI - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Software Engineer at Adesso Turkey
MSP
Good chat functionality and screen sharing, but not as robust as Microsoft Teams
Pros and Cons
  • "The security seems good."
  • "There might be some invitation issues with Skype for Business."

What is our primary use case?

The product is needed to communicate with people in different locations. Our company is in Germany. I'm in Istanbul. If I have a serious issue on the client side I can use Skype for Business to communicate and resolve issues. 

What is most valuable?

I'm using Microsoft Teams, and it's very similar to it. However, I don't actually have more advantages from Teams versus Skype for Business. 

Screen sharing, control in the session, and file sharing are easy. 

I like the chat application and the features it offers.

The security seems good. it may even be more secure than Teams. 

What needs improvement?

I'm not sure if it is possible to invite customers to meetings is they are outside the company. There might be some invitation issues with Skype for Business.

Skype for Business is not as popular as Teams. Teams has a file sharing area, which is useful. That wasn't in the Skype for Business. Skype for Business is just for chatting. However, there are no rich components like in Teams. Teams have a lot of features. Skype isn't as robust. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've only used the solution for eight or nine months. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability has been perfect. It's reliable. There are no issues with bugs or glitches. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I'm not sure about the scalability. I don't know how easy it is to add users, for example. That's handled more on the company side. 

We have about 350 at the company using the product. 

How are customer service and support?

I've had an issue in the past and reached out to technical support. They were helpful and responsive. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We've used TeamViewer for very specific accounts. We've also used Microsoft Teams. It's better than Skype for Business as it integrates more effectively.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not too difficult or entirely easy. It's somewhere in the middle. It's a moderate setup. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution does have a license cost, however, I don't have any knowledge of the exact pricing. 

What other advice do I have?

I'm a customer and a user.

I'm not sure which version of the solution we're using.

I do tend to use normal Skype for personal use. While we use Skype for Business, they are moving more towards Microsoft Teams. 

Nowadays, you should just maybe buy the Microsoft package. If you are using a Windows laptop, then you need Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Teams will come with this package. I prefer Microsoft Teams, actually. We have been using Microsoft Teams for the last three or four years.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten. 

It's a good product. It's not that bad. That said, not a lot of people are using it. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Wafaa Salah - PeerSpot reviewer
Associate professor in accounting at The British University in Egypt
Real User
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.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1381629 - PeerSpot reviewer
Owner at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
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.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Principle consultant at Active Data Consulting Services Pty Ltd
Real User
Top 20
It helps me connect with clients via conference calls, video conferencing and desktop sharing.
Pros and Cons
  • "The Microsoft tech support are very good. They get back to you. I log a support call, and I usually have someone on the phone within a half an hour, so it is pretty good."
  • "There are some issues with stability during phone calls. Sometimes the connectivity drops, and it is frustrating."

What is our primary use case?

I use this solution primarily for my consulting business. It enables me to keep in touch with clients via conference calls, video conferencing, desktop sharing and more.

What is most valuable?

The audio and the screenshot sharing is quite strong.

What needs improvement?

I think sometimes the connectivity needs improvement. Sometimes people have connectivity issues. Once you are running, it's terrific. But, there are unexpected dropouts occasionally. The reliability is not 100%. For example, we had a call today which started great, and then suddenly there were several participants that dropped out of the call due to connectivity.

I also think that it would be great to have a drag-and-drop feature during a call. 

Additionally, the screen sharing is really good. It would be nice to draw notes for screen sharing. This would especially be nice with Touch Pros.

For how long have I used the solution?

One to three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

There are some issues with stability during phone calls. Sometimes the connectivity drops, and it is frustrating.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We are small scale, with a small number of users. I do not know how it would handle very large numbers of users.

How is customer service and technical support?

The Microsoft tech support are very good. They get back to you. I log a support call, and I usually have someone on the phone within a half an hour, so it is pretty good. 

How was the initial setup?

Implementation and setup were pretty straightforward. It took us a half an hour. We did not need any expertise to get it running at all.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is really good. It is quite affordable because it came with our Office 365. It is on a per-user license, which is nice. I quite like that they have made it very granular with all of their licensing.  I get a feeling that smaller organizations can interact with bigger organizations in a more global way by using this service. It is leveling the playing field.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I looked at GoToMeetings. It is a good solution, and it has a few nice features. Skype for Business has better video and audio quality.

What other advice do I have?

If you have Office 365, you should give it a "go" and try it!

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user