Director Of Technology at UNCF
Real User
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.

Buyer's Guide
Skype for Business
April 2024
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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.
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Works at TechnipFMC
Real User
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.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Skype for Business
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Skype for Business. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
769,334 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Principal Engineer at Dell EMC
Real User
Communication and collaboration tool with multi-device setup, but lacks dynamic file updating
Pros and Cons
  • "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."
  • "The tool needs to have a dynamic file updating feature, so people you share a file with could update the file dynamically, all at once, all at the same time."

What is our primary use case?

Skype for Business was one of the prime tools we used to communicate with vendors. We also used it for communicating with other employees internally, within our organization.

What is most valuable?

We had a very good experience with Skype for Business. It was a helpful tool, and one of the best tools I've ever worked with. It's just that our organization is now starting to use Microsoft Teams, so people are diverted into that tool slowly and steadily. We can organize meetings and send across files on it, e.g. there are a lot of options you can use on Microsoft Teams. Both Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams have multiple advantages.

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.

What needs improvement?

Dynamic file updating is a feature I haven't seen on Skype for Business. It's an area for improvement, e.g. I've seen that feature on Microsoft Teams, but not on this tool. If I send one file and shared it with 10 resources, for example, those 10 resources can update that file dynamically all at once, at the same time. Being able to update a file dynamically, by more than one resource, is one of the best features that isn't available on Skype for Business.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Skype for Business is a stable tool. It's just that our organization has moved to Microsoft Teams, but I found Skype for Business to be stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability is present in Skype for Business, e.g. you can use it to participate in one-to-one chats, and you can have a call with multiple people on it. If you have an organization with 3,000 people, you can manage it very nicely on Skype for Business. The tool can also scale from 10,000 to 20,000 users. It's a scalable tool.

What other advice do I have?

We have Skype for Business in our organization, and our last usage of it was six months ago.

I'm unable to comment on the initial setup of Skype for Business, because the installation was done by our IT team. Our team just used the tool. My work is on IT infrastructure, and Skype for Business is one of the communication tools that our local IT team provided to us. Our IT team took care of the installation.

Everyone in our organization used Skype for Business. Everyone was using the same thing, because there was no other option that time. Slowly and steadily, people went on to use Microsoft Teams, and I started using Zoom for meetings, because once the pandemic came in, everything was remote. Our organization wanted a tool which had better quality, or could be a better way to communicate, so we went onto Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Prior to those two tools, we used Skype for Business.

I'm rating Skype for Business seven out of ten. It's a really good solution.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
PeerSpot user
Ali Jafari - PeerSpot reviewer
Voip Engineer at APK
Real User
User-friendly GUI, straightforward to install, and good quality video
Pros and Cons
  • "The GUI is very user-friendly."
  • "The technical support from Microsoft needs to be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use Skype for Business to host and attend company meetings. It is primarily used for virtual meetings and video calls.

What is most valuable?

The GUI is very user-friendly.

What needs improvement?

The technical support from Microsoft needs to be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Skype for Business for between two and three years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This is a scalable product. We have approximately 500 users. We have managers, three administrators, engineers, and developers that use it.

How are customer service and support?

Troubleshooting problems with Microsoft is very hard. This is something that should be improved. The support should also be faster.

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

We also use Cisco Meeting Server, Cisco Webex, and Adobe Connect.

All of the platforms are very good and of high quality.

How was the initial setup?

Skype for business is straightforward to install.

What about the implementation team?

Only one person is required to maintain and support this product.

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

The licensing is billed on a yearly basis.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, this is a good product and I recommend it.

I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.

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.
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Procurement Manager at EXCEED IT Services
MSP
Top 20
Helps to make international calls but needs to improve scalability and user experience
Pros and Cons
  • "The product helps me make international calls."
  • "I feel that the whole look and feel of Skype should be improved, including its user-friendliness. It should also improve its scalability."

What is our primary use case?

I use the solution to make calls and talk to colleagues. I use it mostly to chat with people inside the company and make international calls. 

What is most valuable?

The product helps me make international calls. 

What needs improvement?

I feel that the whole look and feel of Skype should be improved, including its user-friendliness. It should also improve its scalability.  

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The tool is not stable since some calls just don't get through. I would rate it a five out of ten since it doesn't happen every time. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would rate the solution's scalability a three out of ten. My company has 200 users for it. 

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

I have used Teams before. 

How was the initial setup?

The product's setup is not complex and takes around three hours to complete. 

What other advice do I have?

I would rate the solution a six out of ten. You can use the product without any training. However, I feel that Teams is better than Skype in terms of scalability, user experience, app integration, etc. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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CEO at Norahand
Real User
An easy-to-use solution for chatting and transferring files
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is easy to use and includes the ability to text message, video and voice chat, and transfer files."
  • "The solution requires deployment on a Microsoft server and its performance is heavy because it consumes too many resources from the RAM."

What is our primary use case?

Our team of six uses the solution for virtual meetings. 

What is most valuable?

The solution is easy to use and includes the ability to text message, video and voice chat, and transfer files. 

What needs improvement?

The solution requires deployment on a Microsoft server and its performance is heavy because it consumes too many resources from the RAM. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for two years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

For our purposes, the solution works fine and we have no need to scale. 

How are customer service and support?

We use a free version of the solution so we don't need specific support. If we have problems, we search Microsoft forums to find solutions. 

How was the initial setup?

The setup takes a day and requires some knowledge of configuration and deployment.

What about the implementation team?

We outsourced implementation to one Microsoft technician skilled in setup and deployment of the solution and other Microsoft products such as SharePoint. 

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

Most of the IT ecosystems in Iran use Microsoft solutions because they are free for us. We crack them and pay no fees when configuring servers, downloading packages, or using Skype. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We also use WhatsApp and Telegram for small meetings.

What other advice do I have?

I rate the solution a nine out of ten. 

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.
PeerSpot user
Ankita Mandowara - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Software Engineer at Ace Infoway Pvt. Ltd
Real User
Top 10
An easy-to-use tool with a straightforward setup phase
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of the solution are that it is quick and easy to use. It is a good tool for group calls."
  • "I feel bored with the look and feel of the tool, so it should be changed."

What is our primary use case?

I use Skype for Business for my office's internal communications.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of the solution are that it is quick and easy to use. It is a good tool for group calls.

What needs improvement?

I feel bored with the look and feel of the tool, so it should be changed.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Skype for Business for five months. I am a customer of the product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable solution.

Around 400 employees in my company use Skype for Business.

How are customer service and support?

I never had any requirements or needed to contact the technical support team of Skype.

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

I have previously worked with Slack, and it was not easy to use, while Skype has been comparatively much better. Compared to Skype, Slack was only providing my company with a free trial, after the expiry of which we could not make calls.

How was the initial setup?

I don't know about the time taken for the product's installation process since my company's technical team managed it.

The product's installation phase was easy.

I think that one of the technical team members was involved in the product's installation process.

The solution is deployed on the devices in our company.

What other advice do I have?

There is no maintenance required for the solution.

I recommend the solution to those who plan to use it.

I rate the overall solution a ten out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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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
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Updated: April 2024
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Skype for Business Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.