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Cisco Meeting Server vs Skype for Business comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 3, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Meeting Server
Ranking in Virtual Meetings
12th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.9
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Skype for Business
Ranking in Virtual Meetings
5th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
64
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Virtual Meetings category, the mindshare of Cisco Meeting Server is 2.8%, down from 7.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Skype for Business is 3.7%, down from 13.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Virtual Meetings Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Skype for Business3.7%
Cisco Meeting Server2.8%
Other93.5%
Virtual Meetings
 

Featured Reviews

Ahmed Elrayes - PeerSpot reviewer
Voice Network Engineer at Raya Integration
A scalable tool useful to hold conferences and video meetings
I use Cisco Meeting Server for conferences and video meetings, which are crucial for my company The share screen option available during conferences is one of the best features of Cisco Meeting Server. In Cisco Meeting Server, GUI is an area of concern where improvements are required. In the…
MD
Assistant Information Technology Officer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
Internal communication has become more efficient while mobile usage still needs improvement
The honest answer is that the product has not really evolved in some time. Microsoft has been pushing everyone towards Teams and Skype for Business has been in maintenance mode for a while. The mobile experience is also not great. Staff who try to use it on their phones find it less reliable than the desktop version, calls drop more, and the interface is clunky. For a modern workforce that expects everything to work on mobile, that is a gap. Despite the initial setup challenges and mobile issues, we have noticed positive outcomes for our organization since adopting Skype for Business. I rate Skype for Business seven out of ten. I think that Skype for Business has served us well for what it is. A government office has different expectations from a fast-moving private company. We value stability and security over the newest features. On those terms, Skype for Business has delivered.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The UI is user-friendly and very good overall."
"Cisco Meeting Server is an easy and less complex solution."
"You can use the Cisco Meeting Server to set up conference calls and virtual meetings."
"The share screen option available during conferences is one of the best features of Cisco Meeting Server."
"Cisco Meeting Server has the best technical support, so I'd rate support a five out of five."
"In summary, this is a good product that is very easy to use, and I recommend it."
"What I like most about Cisco Meeting Server is its quick management. The solution also has a straightforward configuration."
"You can use the Cisco Meeting Server to set up conference calls and virtual meetings. Those are the two primary functions of Meeting Server. Most people in the company are using Microsoft Teams, so we only use Meeting Server when we have an internal meeting for all staff."
"The product's initial setup phase is very easy."
"We really like the screen sharing tool. The user experience is smooth, and user-friendly."
"I like the fact that it opens up your video conferencing, and, in many cases, the audio at the same time."
"The security seems good."
"Firstly, it is an innovative and even more profitable way of communicating."
"Using Skype allows us to connect with external agencies when a Skype call is set up and aids in sharing large files efficiently."
"The most valuable feature is how useful it has been for virtual meetings during the pandemic."
"The quality of the meetings is very good."
 

Cons

"Cisco Meeting Server should include a feature to control another user's screen during a remote session."
"This is a difficult solution to install and it should be made easier."
"In Cisco Meeting Server, GUI is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"What would make Cisco Meeting Server better is integrating it with Zoom and Teams so that you can connect or make a call through any of the two third-party solutions."
"A few features are missing on the Meetings app, like a recording function."
"A few features are missing on the Meetings app, like a recording function. My understanding is that you need to buy a separate recording solution. It's modular, so you have to enable some functions if you want to use them. For example, we had to enable the Mood function. Recording is the primary feature we'd like to see in the app."
"I would like to see an updated user interface and layout even though no functionality is missing."
"The solution has been discontinued by Microsoft."
"The solution lacks to provide reporting functionality, and I would like to see the solution provide that feature."
"This service could be improved by adding some missing features. It lacks integration with Teams, which is a feature I would like to see in the next release."
"The initial setup could be simplified."
"Skype for Business could improve the interface. It could be easier to use. Additionally, it's hard to find the people or add people you want to communicate with."
"The integration with Outlook could be improved."
"I should be able to make a desktop phone call when I click a member of my Lync directory."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Price-wise, Cisco Meeting Server is a product that falls in a mid-range category."
"Licensing fees are billed yearly."
"Cisco Meeting Server has reasonable licensing costs."
"We negotiated a fair price with Microsoft. It is definitely worthwhile to negotiate with them for the best price for your solution."
"A license is required to use the solution."
"Skype for Business' pricing is reasonable."
"The cost of Skype for Business is incorporated into our Office 365 licenses."
"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."
"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."
"The solution is priced fairly."
"It may be considered costly for certain markets, such as in India."
report
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
17%
Government
11%
Construction Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Financial Services Firm
18%
Construction Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Marketing Services Firm
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise28
 

Questions from the Community

Ask a question
Earn 20 points
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Skype for Business?
If I think back, my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing involves accessing it through our Microsoft Enterprise Agreement which covers the whole Office suite including Skype for Busin...
What needs improvement with Skype for Business?
The honest answer is that the product has not really evolved in some time. Microsoft has been pushing everyone towards Teams and Skype for Business has been in maintenance mode for a while. The mob...
What is your primary use case for Skype for Business?
My main use case for Skype for Business is internal communication across departments and between different government offices. We have staff spread across multiple locations in Malacca, and before ...
 

Also Known As

Acano
Skype for Business Plan 1, Skype for Business Plan 2, Lync Server
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Starz
EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services,LA Fitness, MedcoEnergi International, Tampa General Hospital, and HopewellHoldings Limited.
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Meeting Server vs. Skype for Business and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
902,417 professionals have used our research since 2012.