Although Microsoft has stated all along that Skype for Business uses the secure Lync infrastructure rather than that of the Skype consumer service, the company should further emphasize that message to alleviate security fears and offer a clear roadmap. The major concern for enterprises with this move is that some security executives perceive Skype as unsecure. These partners currently provide services for Office 365, where Microsoft already offers its own services that have created some tension with some partners. With the Skype paid call plans, we anticipate that Microsoft’s telco partners will be somewhat concerned that their business may be impacted by Skype’s “over-the-top” calls. This was a clear warning signal that it wanted to control the Skype ecosystem as fully as it does SharePoint’s, presumably anticipating a move such as this. Last year, Microsoft killed the Skype Desktop APIs (see the Aragon First Cut). Microsoft should now continue to enhance the interoperability between Lync and Skype that it has begun with search and directory integration. We anticipate that this will also be the root of a big mobile messaging push by Microsoft to rival Facebook’s WhatsApp acquisition and the new market of emerging mobile messaging players. Making a heavy bet on ubiquity with several recent moves, such as integration with Dropbox, Microsoft now combines consumer penetration with enterprise credentials to extend its reach across all fronts from consumer to business.
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Skype is a consumer application, and its users comprise a huge de facto social network that Microsoft has never taken full advantage of. Lync Server will also become Skype for Business Server. When Skype for Business is released in 2015, it will still have the Lync infrastructure, but the client design will resemble Skype, which is more widely known and familiar to consumers. Lync has powerful internals, but limited brand awareness. Instead, it made big investments in the Lync brand, which now has its own conference and a budding ecosystem. Skype is far better known, and after spending $8.5 billion to acquire it, Microsoft has not leveraged it enough as an enterprise asset. Last year, we indicated that Lync might move to the Skype brand, and suggested that doing so would give it an appropriate home. Lync has been the most rebranded Microsoft product in the past 10 years, from being part of Exchange through LCS, OCS, Lync and now Skype for Business. Other than integrating it with Lync, Microsoft did little to push the Skype brand into the enterprise since acquiring it in 2011 until it established the Skype business division. Summary: Renaming Lync “Skype for Business” puts a friendly face on Microsoft’s industrial-strength collaboration tool, but the company may have to work hard to keep buyers from confusing it with the consumer version of Skype.Įvent: On November 11, 2014, Microsoft announced it would rebrand Lync as “Skype for Business.” It expects to complete the rebranding in 2015. Increase efficiency with Cisco Unified Communications and protect existing desktop investments.Issue: Who are the collaboration providers and how will they evolve? Simplify communications with easy-to-deploy integration and a single-call control architecture. Initiate or join multiparty audio, web, and video conferences using Cisco conferencing solutions. Get telephony presence, visual voicemail, communications history, and desk phone control. Instantly connect from anywhere using the embedded Cisco IP softphone and high-definition video. With this tight integration for Microsoft Lync and Skype for Business clients, you get a consistent user experience, enhanced communications capabilities, and reduced infrastructure complexity. This easy-to-deploy desktop integration lets you extend the instant messaging functionality of Microsoft Lync and Skype for Business Clients with proven Cisco Unified Communications (UC) services. Now, you can instantly access Cisco Unified Communications capabilities directly from Microsoft Skype for Business or Microsoft Lync UC Clients.
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