Skype for Business end of life — what happens next?
In September 2017, Microsoft announced that Microsoft Teams would replace Skype for Business over time. Since that announcement, Microsoft has been ramping up for the shift, where Skype for Business will be moving to Teams. On July 30, 2019 Microsoft officially announced the end of life for Skype for Business will be July 31, 2021, at which point they will retire the Skype for Business client forever.
The future of Skype for Business has brought a lot of uncertainty to companies, and many of would like to know how this will affect them. We’re going to look at and answer some of the most frequently asked questions around the future of Skype for Business as it relates to Teams.
What is the future of Skype for Business?
As mentioned above, Skype for Business is set to be phased out by July 31, 2021. Microsoft previously cited October 1st, 2018, as the deadline for offering Skype for Business Online to any new customers – this has been confirmed in their most recent announcement and, starting September 1, 2019, Microsoft will be onboarding all new Office 365 customers directly to Teams for chat, meetings, and calling capabilities.
This does not affect current Skype for Business Online customers, who will still be able to continue using the service and adding new users as needed, up until the July 31st, 2021 retirement deadline.
Why is Microsoft switching from Skype for Business to Teams?
Simply put, Microsoft wants to provide organizations with a single hub for teamwork. The updates to the Teams platform that will replace Skype for Business combines the business-critical communications capabilities of Skype for Business with the collaboration tools, app integration, and file storage and sharing of Microsoft Teams. This modern Cloud infrastructure will create new experiences for meetings and calling opportunities, allowing users to make better use of their most valuable asset – their time.
What does this mean for existing Office 365 customers?
If you are a current Office 365 customer and you’re currently using Skype for Business and Teams, you’ll see that Microsoft will be adding new voice, video, and meeting capabilities into the Teams platform. You may have already noticed some changes.
How long will it take to upgrade my organization to Teams?
Upgrading your organization to Teams is based on your specific needs. Because there is no end-of-support date set by Microsoft at this time, and the future of Skype for Business is still fluid, you can choose when and how you want to migrate your organization from Skype for Business to Teams. Microsoft is encouraging customers to start using Teams either independently, or in tandem with Skype for Business.
What should I do to prepare for my upgrade to Teams?
Once you are ready to move fully to Teams, Microsoft has come up with two core upgrade paths that can help with your migration:
Upgrade Basic is designed for smaller organizations or those who are using Skype for Business Online for chat and meetings only. It’s an accelerated action plan for implementing your move from Skype for Business to Teams that includes core, recommended activities, and associated resources, and is designed with the idea that you’ll be upgrading your entire organization to Teams at once, typically within 30 – 45 days.
Upgrade Pro is designed for larger organizations, or those who have a more complex deployment of Skype for Business (i.e. a hybrid deployment). It’s a more prolonged upgrade lifecycle that offers more detailed guidance and planning resources, which can better meet your organization’s unique attributes. This phased approach typically lasts around 120 – 150 days.
It’s recommended that you take a look at both of these upgrade paths to determine which one is better suited to your organizational needs. Our team of experts can help you explore your options and decide the correct course of action for you to take.
What will happen after users are upgraded to Teams?
In the coming months, administrators will be able to see a “Teams Only” mode in the Office 365 Admin Portal. To complete the upgrade to Teams, Teams Only will need to be enabled for each of your user.
Once done, users will see a number of things happening:
Their Skype for Business client will be disabled for use. All calls and IMs will go through Teams. However, if there are Skype for Business meetings that were scheduled before the switch over, they will still run through Skype for Business.
All new meetings that are scheduled from Outlook will be scheduled in Teams.
If your users are attempting to sign into Skype for Business, they’ll get a notification letting them know that they’ve been upgraded to Teams.
Users will need to manually uninstall the Skype for Business client from their devices.
Is Teams compatible with Phone System & Calling Plans?
Yes, Microsoft has added Phone System and calling capabilities to Teams, with more capabilities scheduled to be added. The core voice solution is Phone System which is available today. Companies can additionally add a Microsoft Calling Plan which provides complete support for calling including number acquisition and assignment directly in Office 365. Companies that want to keep their telecom telephone trunks can use Direct Routing – which is included as part of Phone System. Mix and match both together as you see fit for your organization’s needs to have a complete voice solution.