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Microsoft Lync Skype for Business Uncategorized

Survey: Half of IT professionals have adopted Lync/Skype for Business

Following Microsoft’s announcement that it has launched the next version of Lync as Skype for Business, No Jitter conducted a survey to assess enterprise adoption of and attitudes toward the Microsoft Unified Communications (UC) platform and all its various components.

The survey on Lync/Skype for Business use included responses from 540 enterprise IT professionals, with more than half (52 percent) responding that they had already adopted Lync/Skype for Business.

When asked which functions they currently used Lync for, the majority of respondents named presence and instant messaging. This was followed by Web and audio conferencing as well as desktop video.

Using Lync/Skype for Web conferencing typically extends the usage of Lync outside network boundaries and requires action to be taken to secure the deployment as LyncShield does.

At the same time, Web conferencing was seen as the main function used in hosted Skype for Business service, followed by audio conferencing and presence and instant messaging.

Skype for Business will retain all Lync capabilities, including content sharing and telephony, while adding video calling and the Skype user directory, making it possible to call any Skype user on any device.

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Microsoft Lync Skype for Business Uncategorized

Get ready for Skype for Business

Microsoft recently announced that the next version of Lync would become Skype for Business.

Skype for Business is expected be released in the coming months and current Lync Server customers will be able to update from Lync Server 2013 to the new Skype for Business Server in their datacenters. The transition does not require any new hardware for existing users to receive the update.

Gurdeep Pall, corporate vice president for Skype, wrote in a blog post that Microsoft and Skype were bringing together the familiar experience and user love of Skype with Lync’s enterprise, security, compliance and control.

Since Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011, the software giant has invested in the transformation of business, altering the status quo with Lync, by simplifying and unifying all the different tools people use to communicate for work.

Pall added that the new Skype for Business would provide a new client experience, new server release and updates to the service in Office 365.

Skype for Business will keep all of Lync capabilities, including content sharing and telephony. It will add video calling and the Skype user directory, making it possible to call any Skype user on any device.