The brand was strong: "Skype" was more or less the internet's official verb for video chatting. Microsoft bought Skype in 2011 for $8.5 billion, in no small part so they could sell a business version of the video service. The Skype brand just isn't what it used to be. Plus, it's a solution that integrates deeply with all of Microsoft's tools (and thousands of other tools using Zapier's Microsoft Teams integration). Teams has video conferencing, but it also offers much more than Skype for Business ever did when it comes to text chat. Microsoft built Teams to be the alternative to both Slack and Zoom-it wants Skype for Business owners to migrate to that service. It's not obvious what that means at this point, but it doesn't bode well for Skype's future. Heck, Microsoft Teams will be built into the Windows 11 toolbar. I don't work for Microsoft, but it's clear the company is slowly moving on from Skype and pushing Teams instead.
This is what Microsoft recommends Skype for Business Online users switch to. This version will keep working and will be officially supported by Microsoft until October 14, 2025.įinally, Microsoft Teams is a team chat app that also offers video conferencing.
#Skype online free install#
Skype for Business Server 2019 is software your business can purchase and install locally on a server. Skype for Business Online came with Microsoft 365, is hosted on Microsoft's servers, and is the version that is shutting down. There are two current versions of this app, only one of which is shutting down. Skype for Business is an entirely different app aimed at the business market and isn't available for free.
#Skype online free download#
Skype is the consumer video chat service that anyone can download for free. It's understandable if you don't know which version of Skype your company is currently using, so let's break this down. Microsoft, like some other big companies, loves nothing more than offering several versions of the same product with confusing names. You could do that, or you could use the opportunity to check out other video conferencing apps. Microsoft would like it if you switched to Microsoft Teams, a team chat app that also offers robust video conferencing. To summarize: if your business pays for Microsoft 365 and uses the version of Skype that came with it, you'll need to switch to another video and messaging service. But the consumer version of Skype, which you can download for free, isn't going anywhere. Microsoft recently announced that Skype for Business Online is shutting down on July 31, 2021.
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