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Cisco TelePresence 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 TelePresence
Ranking in Virtual Meetings
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
9
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
63
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Virtual Meetings category, the mindshare of Cisco TelePresence is 3.1%, down from 3.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Skype for Business is 3.9%, down from 13.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Virtual Meetings Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Skype for Business3.9%
Cisco TelePresence3.1%
Other93.0%
Virtual Meetings
 

Featured Reviews

OSCAR DE LA PENA - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Solution Architect at Ricoh España, S.L.U.
One-click meeting access and seamless integration enhance video conferencing experience
Cisco TelePresence could improve the WebRTC connections, as they are quite slow. The end user experiences delays when using WebRTC, sometimes taking one minute or more to receive a connection. This issue is mainly due to Cisco taking a long time to download and start the WebRTC client on their devices. Ensuring it is embedded in the device could help.
reviewer1854369 - PeerSpot reviewer
Executive at a government with 201-500 employees
Relying on dependable communication features for efficient collaboration
I work with Microsoft Exchange. We use Microsoft Azure, though I am not involved with the back-end operations. I work with Microsoft Exchange and ServiceNow for the service desk. I do not work with Cloud Observability or Automation Engine. We use Microsoft Copilot with Teams. We do not use Microsoft Security Copilot as it is not cloud-based. We have moved from Skype for Business to Teams recently, though some of us still use Skype for Business because it is convenient. Skype for Business is particularly useful for remoting onto people's devices. I prefer Skype for Business over Teams for screen sharing. Sometimes there are compatibility issues when running Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business together. Phone calls in Teams might ring and then go silent, or the microphone might not detect calls from either application. I rate Skype for Business a 9 out of 10 because it works effectively with minimal issues.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The speaker tracker feature in Cisco Telepresence is highly valuable, especially the ability to track multiple participants and change focus during meetings."
"TelePresence allows our customers to have a quick meeting while traveling and still be effective. It saves time and money."
"It was stable. So, I would rate the stability a ten out of ten."
"TelePresence allows our customers to have a quick meeting while traveling and still be effective."
"Superior video and audio experience."
"The most valuable features of Cisco TelePresence are the basic standard features and the ease of use, and the configuration and integration are exemplary."
"The most valuable features of Cisco TelePresence are the basic standard features and the ease of use. Additionally, the configuration and integration are exemplary."
"The SpeakerTrack feature is the most valuable feature."
"The quality of the meetings is very good."
"File sharing and email invitations for a conference. I can have a meeting with people at the opposite end of the Earth, sharing documentation; it is quite easy."
"One of the best features of Skype for Business is that you can set it up on mobile phones, and you can set it up on laptops. You can connect to the tool from anywhere."
"Our employees use this solution for a communal space to collaborate for organizational decision making."
"Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten...Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"It is a business solution that helps our company connect globally to others in our sphere."
"I like the fact that it opens up your video conferencing, and, in many cases, the audio at the same time."
"Skype for Business is good for meetings and instant messaging."
 

Cons

"The tool is expensive."
"I would rate my experience with the initial setup a three out of ten, with ten being expensive. It was complex with badges and certificates. Too crazy."
"The price of Cisco TelePresence overall should be reduced."
"I was in touch with one of our clients and they mentioned that they would like to have a holographic video conferencing. It would be great if that feature would be added."
"Cisco TelePresence could improve its integration capabilities."
"MX800 comes only with one available DVI port. A few more HDMI ports will improve the system's capability."
"I was in touch with one of our clients and they mentioned that they would like to have a holographic video conferencing. It would be great if that feature would be added."
"Cisco TelePresence could improve the WebRTC connections, as they are quite slow."
"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."
"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 ease of configuration or the lack of decent tooling to pinpoint your problems is probably its biggest issue."
"Going forward, I would like to see better call quality and reliability."
"The solution has been discontinued by Microsoft."
"Skype's overall connectivity functionality or ability is one area with room for improvement."
"We have had trouble with scalability when trying to host large meetings."
"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."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco TelePresence license is expensive and should be reduced. There is only a cost for the license and it is annually."
"I will rate the tool's pricing an eight out of ten."
"The pricing is expensive, therefore I rate it an eight out of ten."
"We used high definition, 1080p, but again, it required license purchases. For example, with three licenses (TP licenses), each allowing one 1080p screen, if I had six participants, I'd need to lower the resolution to 720p or lower to accommodate more participants. More licenses meant more cost."
"The price of Cisco Telepresence is high, especially in Brazil. However, the quality of the product justifies the cost."
"It may be slightly costly, but the features are awesome."
"We purchased an open license."
"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."
"I use the product's open-source version."
"I am using a corporate account for which I have not made any payments."
"The solution is priced fairly."
"A license is required to use the solution."
"Skype for Business' pricing is reasonable."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Performing Arts
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Government
10%
Construction Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
19%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Marketing Services Firm
11%
Construction Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business2
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise5
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise27
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Cisco TelePresence?
Cisco TelePresence could improve the WebRTC connections, as they are quite slow. The end user experiences delays when using WebRTC, sometimes taking one minute or more to receive a connection. This...
What advice do you have for others considering Cisco TelePresence?
Cisco is a leader in video conferencing solutions because they apply the latest technologies to their devices and services, such as artificial intelligence and versatile functionalities. Security i...
What is your primary use case for Cisco TelePresence?
My primary use case for Cisco TelePresence ( /products/cisco-telepresence-reviews ) is providing video conferencing solutions for internal and external users, especially for enterprises. I am a par...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Skype for Business?
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.
What needs improvement with Skype for Business?
I cannot think of many ways in which Skype for Business could improve in general. It works fairly efficiently for our purposes with Skype for Business. There is one issue regarding the audio settin...
What is your primary use case for Skype for Business?
We use Skype for Business for internal meetings, conference calls, remoting into PCs, and phone calls. Our virtual meetings typically include two or three participants, keeping them small. It is ea...
 

Also Known As

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

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Afni, AGCO, Bellevue, Came Group, Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC Children's), Del Papa Distributing, Instituto Zaldivar, ING Bank, Moffitt Cancer Center, Park Nicollet, Pentana Solutions Australia, San Jose State University, Sub-Zero Wolf, Transwestern and Metropolis Investment Holdings, Vital Images
EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services,LA Fitness, MedcoEnergi International, Tampa General Hospital, and HopewellHoldings Limited.
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco TelePresence vs. Skype for Business and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
893,311 professionals have used our research since 2012.