For more than 17 years, Skype has connected people, families and friends throughout the world. Thus becoming one of the telecommunications platforms best known by all internet users.
In recent years and with the growing demand for teleworking, almost all communication platforms have offered their version for companies to the public. Skype was not far behind, offering international connections, conferences and information exchange, and meetings. Made available to the public the version Skype for Business or Skype for Business.
Today we will expose you everything you need to know about Skype for Business, what are its features and functions and why you should use it in your company.
What is Skype for Business and what is this business communication tool for?
Skype business is a service of instant messaging. released by Microsoft company that offers different modes of communication, from video conferencing, through telephony, application sharing, even file transfer. It works with both Office applications and MacOS office suites. Like it is available for mobile devices such as Android, iOS and Windows phone.
The key to the success of any company is effective communications both inside and outside of it.. The platform Skype for business came to facilitate this task, since we can adapt all the needs of our company to this platform.
What are the main features and functions of the business version of Skype?
Skype for Business is integrated into the package Microsoft Office 365, which is essential for the characteristics of this application to be specially designed for the workplace.
Among the many functionalities of Skype for Business we could mention:
- Online Meetings: It allows the realization of high quality videoconferences and audio conferences, making it possible for anyone to join and participate. In these meetings, there will be multiple tools that will allow taking notes, sharing screens, recording meetings, among many others that will facilitate communications in your company.
- Supports almost any type of device: You can literally hold meetings from wherever you are with any device with internet access since it is available for both Android, iOS and Windows.
- Use of collaborative whiteboards: You will have the ability to make important annotations directly in PowerPoint.
- Question and answer sessions: You will be recorded in the cloud due to the integrated system with Office license, thus maximizing the productivity of each meeting.
- Users status: Each of the people on the work team can make known if they are present, available, not available, offline or if they have asked not to be disturbed.
- Instant messaging: Receive messages in real time, making the conversation with your team more fluid and less formal than in an email.
- Calling plans: Skype for Business lets you find, assign, and acquire phone numbers for all workgroup members so that they can receive and make calls both inside and outside the company.
Advantages and Benefits of Skype for Business Why should I use it in my company?
Although we have already mentioned the functionalities of this platform, the question always fits: Well, but, Why should I use it in my company? Communications inside and outside any company ensures more than 50% of its success, it is because of that Skype for Business It came to remove all obstacles that may exist and thus facilitate communication between its users.
Here we will show you the benefits it would bring and how it would improve communications in your business group:
- Can be accessed from anywhere: As we have mentioned previously, it supports any type of device that has an internet connection, which is a great advantage today and in this world where we must be everywhere at the same time. Skype for Business will be with you anytime, anywhere, easing technology costs and helping all telecommuting employees.
- Integration with Office: The functionalities of Skype for Business and Office applications form the perfect equation to improve both communications and productivity, since the applications that we use on a daily basis will be available: Excel, Powerpoint, Word and Outlook.
- Video preview in video calls: Skype will always show you what you look like before making a video conference to ensure you’re camera-ready. It shows you how you look, the lighting and your surroundings before you start broadcasting live.
- Call monitoring: You can always follow up on the person who is speaking at that moment, since it will show you the name of the speaker above the image of the speaker, that is why working on projects and finding the fulfillment of tasks will be a piece of cake.
- Meetings personified: Skype gives you the ability to define what type of meeting you want to have, from informal meetings, highly interactive collaboration meetings, to fully formal conferences with a large number of attendees.
- Conferences with high user capacity: Unlike conventional Skype that only supports a capacity of up to 50 people, Skype for Business allows you to expand your communicational levels with your employees, allowing you to share a screen with up to 250 people in a simultaneous call.
- Content sharing: The content can be easily shared in any meeting or conversation. If you are the host of the conversation, you can have control of the way in which the other attendees can view the content you share, being able to give another member of the team control of the presentation at any time.
- Offers all basic calling functions: The basics of calling are covered, such as answering, redirecting, transferring and putting on hold, all with one click and on any device.
- Maintains group commitment: Skype will allow you to keep your entire work team informed about the meetings, both before, during and after they are held; you can send invitations, share agenda and show content with attendees.
- Safe and manageable: Skype for Business ensures end-to-end encryption in all its conversations, offering a variety of technology and services so that its users feel safe when using its platform.
Microsoft Teams replaces Skype for Business What are the most important news?
In March 2022, Microsoft merged Skype for Business with Microsoft Teams, thus acquiring all the functionalities of the latter, thus began the transition program from Office 365 to Microsoft 365. In this process, Skype for Business disappears, although the Skype application will remain active for individuals until July 31, 2022. Even so, the server Skype for Business still has extended support until October 14, 2025.
How much does Microsoft Teams cost? Know the main rates and prices
They offer 3 varieties of packages:
- Office 365 Business Essentials: It is a basic plan that is priced at € 4.40 per month. Includes Teams, SharePoint, Exchange and OneDriveIt also contains the web and mobile versions of Office, Calendar, Mail, File Sharing, Storage, and Support. It contains basic Skype tools and the services will be available on PC, Mac or mobile.
- Office 365 business: It has all the services included in the basic plan plus the Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Access apps. It costs € 8.80 per month.
- Office 365 business Premium: Of all the plans, this is the most complete as it includes all the services and all the applications. In addition, they offer the greatest security for your company, protecting email from hacking software, spam, threats and also allowing you to control who accesses company information and when. They offer you online technical support 24 hours a day. It has a cost of € 10.50.
List of the best alternatives to Skype for Business for teamwork that you should know
Join us to discover which are the most functional alternatives to Skype for Business for managing communication in your company:
We Chat
It is a social network born in China, developed by Tencent, which today has more than 1 billion users. It is a communications platform that offers multiple functions such as the instant messaging with text and voice messages, live broadcasts. Video calls of up to 9 users, phone service and file transfers.
What’s more, offers geolocation services that will allow you to know which people who use the application are close to you. It has its version for companies called Enterprise WeChat, which has similar functions to Slack.
Google Duo
It is an application created by Google, free to use and that works with iOS and Android devices. Allows you to make calls and video calls between two people and videoconferences of up to 8 participants. It has a function called Knock. Knock that allows the person who receives the call to see a live video of the person who is calling. In order to know who it is. This application works by adding your phone number.
Facetime
It is an application launched in 2011 by and for the Apple company, since it is only available for IPhone, IPad, IPod touch and Mac devices. Allows its users to make voice and video calls with up to 32 people simultaneously. It has end-to-end encryption. Its disadvantage is that it does not allow file sharing and is exclusive only for Apple devices.
Whereby.com
It is a free app available for both Android and iOS, although there is really no need to download any application. Since all its benefits can be enjoyed from its Web page. It allows videoconferences of up to 4 participants, send text and voice messages, share our screen. And in the paid version it even allows us to record the call. It has, as we already said, a free version, a Pro version with a cost of € 9.99 / month and a business version whose cost is € 59.99 / month.
Gluppi.com
It is a service of telecommunications for large and small companies. It is an integrated phone focused on business-level communications. It includes a virtual switchboard in which the departments are managed, IP telephony, automated messages, video conferencing. Audio conferencing, cloud storage and an instant messaging chat for companies.