This basic package nets customers basic Skype for Business functionality but does not include some of the more impressive extras like desktop sharing and the ability to record meetings. Standalone Skype for Business plans are available from £1.30 per user, per month, based on an annual commitment. These plans range from 400 minutes from £3.59 per month, unlimited UK minutes for £4.79 per month, unlimited calls to the UK, Ireland, Canada and the US for £5.99 per month, or unlimited worldwide calls for £10.19 per month. For actual phone calls, users must pay connection fees, either on a pay-as-you-go basis or via a monthly subscription. The only thing that does cost money is making phone calls to non-Skype numbers, such as mobiles and landlines. Anyone can download Skype and use it for instant messaging, video calls and VoIP services free of charge. The primary advantage Skype has over Skype for Business is obviously the fact that it’s free.
After purchasing Skype in 2011, Microsoft rebranded its business telephony package Lync as ‘Skype for Business’, promising enterprise-grade communications solutions as part of the Office 365 package.īut is Skype for Business really good enough to de-throne its more popular older brother? We put the two services head to head to find out.
Skype has by now gained ubiquity as perhaps the best-known VoIP and video calling service.
