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Skype for Business alternatives.

Skype for Business is headed to End of Life. This resource hub helps you compare the alternatives to a forced migration to Skype for Business Subscription Edition.

It's time to explore the best alternatives for your organisation's new communication platform.

What we already know about Skype for Business.

Microsoft announced the deprecation of Skype for Business back in 2017, with the product being replaced by Microsoft Teams. If cloud-based Microsoft Teams isn’t an option, you need to find a new on-premise alternative.

Even with the release of Skype for Business Subscription Edition, you are under Microsoft’s modern lifecycle support policy on a rolling 12 month notice period. 

Dates to keep in mind.
Product Start date Mainstream end date Extended end date
Skype for Business
Server 2015		 July 30, 2015 October 31, 2020 October 14, 2025
Skype for Business
Server 2019		 October 22, 2018 January 9, 2024 October 14, 2025
Skype for Business Server Subscription Edit (SE) Q3, 2025 In line with its Modern Lifecycle Policy, Microsoft will provide a minimum of 12 months' notification prior to ending support if no successor product or service is offered

Source: Microsoft

Whichever version an organisation is using, the message is clear; Microsoft is neglecting on-premise communications in favour of MS Teams. If MS Teams doesn’t fit your requirements, you need a Skype for Business replacement.

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Six questions to help you find an alternative.

This info sheet explores six questions to help you find an alternative to Skype for Business Server.

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Use the report to:
  • Understand the key criteria for secure communication
  • Discover in-depth analysis of the top on-premise alternatives to choose the best platform that fits your needs
  • Learn how these solutions can empower your organisation with advanced features, enhanced security, and data sovereignty
Skype for Business decision making tree.

Use our decision making tree to select the right communication platform for your organisation.

Decision making tree
Replacements for Skype, as curated by
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Forrester report: Choose the best secure communication.

Choosing an on-premise platform that has been independently researched is a powerful validation when building the business case for a secure and compliant collaboration platform. 

Forrester has selected the 12 top secure communications providers that offer enterprise-centric E2EE communication platforms and compared them by current offering, company strategy and market presence.

Learn more
Forrester report cover

 

Skype for Business hasn’t been a Microsoft priority since 12 July 2018...
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Sweden moved from Skype to Element

Försäkringskassan (the Swedish Social Insurance Agency) is using open source software to provide a sovereign and secure collaboration service (called SAFOS) for parts of Försäkringskassan and several government agencies.

Försäkringskassan is using Element to deliver ‘SAFOS Chatt,’ the messaging and video calling component for SAFOS. Thanks to this, the Swedish public sector “can leave Skype for Business for real". 

 

 

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