Microsoft Teams Has Replaced Skype for Business – Time to Upgrade!

Publication date: Dec 02, 2022

Last Published: Feb 18, 2023

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IMPORTANT UPDATE: Skype for Business is no longer recommended. The platform has been sunset and only standalone instances will be supported through 2024. We now recommend Microsoft Teams as a replacement for Skype for Business on-premises, and we hope to support your future migration with this blog article.

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As technology improves into the future, so will our business communication platforms.

Effective communication has always been a key enabler of productivity at work – it has always been, and it always will be.

What does change, are the available communication methods for businesses to operate.

In 2015, Microsoft introduced Skype for Business as the successor to its Lync enterprise software application for instant messaging (which started as Office Communicator). Since then, countless organizations have adopted Skype for Business to communicate better via text, audio, and video chat.

At OSIbeyond, we’ve helped many Skype for Business adopters implement and take full advantage of the application previously. When Microsoft announced that Skype for Business online would be sunset as of July 2021 and standalone instances supported only through 2024, we were ready to transition our clients to its successor: Teams. Now we only recommend Microsoft Teams, which is a far superior business tool.

What Should I Know About Skype for Business Vs. Teams?

Skype for Business is an enterprise-oriented version of the popular instant messenger.

It supports online meetings with up to 250 participants, offers enterprise-grade security, and allows organizations to manage employee accounts.

Microsoft Teams is designed to be a complete collaboration and communication platform.

Its users can participate in one-to-one and group chats, host audio, video, and web conferences, share files, and work on them together thanks to integrations with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, and other applications.

Why Upgrade from Skype to Microsoft for Teams?

It’s time to upgrade to Microsoft Teams, as it is the new preferred business communication platform and offers many advantages.

“All of our clients are now off of the legacy Skype for Business platform. Based on our experience, we have no doubt that Teams is the better communication and collaboration solution,”

Top Advantages of Microsoft Teams Over Skype for Business

Let’s take a closer look at some of the main benefits Teams offers over Skype for Business, to explain why OSIbeyond now recommends it to all our clients.

1. Persistent Chats
Skype for Business chat logs are kept in Outlook or Exchange, so tracking down a specific conversation can be a hassle. Teams, on the other hand, features fully persistent chats that can retain information for as long as needed.

2. Team Collaboration
When teams of employees work together well, the entire organization benefits. Microsoft Teams is designed to bring together groups of people who work closely and make it easy for them to self-organize in sections dedicated to specific topics (called Channels), where they can chat, share multimedia content, schedule meetings, and more.

3. Better Meetings
Teams makes meetings better for everyone with features like background blur, whiteboard masking, or live captions, in addition to features users may already be familiar with from Skype to Business, such as call recording, screen sharing, and file uploads.

4. Third-Party Integrations
The Teams app store is packed with useful apps that can be integrated as additional tabs with a simple click to give employees everything they need to complete their tasks without wasting time switching between apps.

5. Larger Meetings
Teams allows up to 10,000 attendees to join a meeting, with the first 1,000 being able to share audio and video, see shared videos, and participate in meeting chat. The rest can enjoy a view-only experience.

Transitioning from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams?

That is great if you are upgrading your business to Microsoft Teams. Migrating is definitely the right choice! Organizations that still use Skype for Business can migrate to Microsoft Teams without any significant friction using the so-called coexistence modes, which provide a simple, predictable experience for end users in organizations that are transitioning from Skype for Business to Teams.

Can I use both Teams and Skype for Business clients side by side?

Some organizations may want to use both Teams and Skype for Business clients side by side, and others may prefer to gradually upgrade employees to Teams directly. Both migration paths are possible and officially supported by Microsoft.

Where can I get support migrating from Skype to Microsoft Teams?

We at OSIbeyond would be happy to help you migrate from Skype to Business to Microsoft Teams so that you can benefit from its features, streamlined user experience, and long-term support. Contact us to get started on IT Support & Strategy.

FAQs – Skype for Business vs. Microsoft Teams

What is Skype for Business?
Skype for Business is an instant messaging application developed by Microsoft as part of the Microsoft Office suite. The application was phased out in favor of Microsoft Teams in 2017.

What is Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft Teams is a complete collaboration and communication platform from Microsoft. It was initially released in 2017 as the successor to Skype for Business and Microsoft Classroom.

Should Skype for Business users migrate to Microsoft Teams?
Yes. Skype for Business was retired on July 31, 2021, all users should migrate to Microsoft Teams as soon as possible.

Can you chat between Skype and Microsoft Teams?
Yes, Skype users can easily connect with Microsoft Teams users in a one-to-one chat or call by searching for them using their business email and sending them a contact request.

Can I send a message to someone on Skype for Business from Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft Teams users can send messages to Skype for Business users if they have been assigned a coexistence mode.

Is it possible to export Skype for Business groups to Microsoft Teams?
Existing contacts and contact groups are migrated from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams automatically.

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Having Trouble Upgrading to Microsoft Teams?

Contact us for help with your business technology upgrades!

Please reach out to schedule a meeting with our team and discuss how OSIbeyond can support your business with a more effective technology strategy.

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