How Microsoft Is Transforming Skype Into a Major Enterprise App

By Don Reisinger

Office 365 users know well that Skype plays an integral role in the experience of using the cloud-based solution. Microsoft allows Office 365 users to integrate the full suite of Skype features. In addition, Microsoft gives Office 365 users 60 minutes per month to make calls for free. Those calls can be placed to more than 60 destinations around the world.

Microsoft announced that starting in 2015 it will phase out Lync. Instead, the company has decided to call the next update Skype for Business, essentially ending Lync’s life as a stand-alone app and adding some of its best features to Skype. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it forces current corporate customers using Lync to migrate to Skype whether they want to or not.

In addition to being a downloadable application, Skype is now becoming useful in the browser. Microsoft announced recently that Skype will work across all browsers, allowing users to place calls and message each other without ever opening their application. It’s not necessarily a groundbreaking achievement in the grand scheme of things, but it’s an important step as Microsoft tries to make Skype more cloud-friendly and, thus, more enterprise-friendly.

VOIP might be the main reason Skype is so popular, but it’s really not the factor that is most interesting to Microsoft. The company is pitching Skype not only as a tool for businesses to use when they want to hold video conference calls, but also as an office instant messaging tool for employees. And yes, if companies want to place cheap calls over the Web, Skype can handle that, too.

Skype has a Manager tool that allows IT staffs to determine how the software can be used across the enterprise. So, for example, if a company buys Skype credits that allow employees to place calls, the IT staff can determine how those credits are doled out to employees. The feature can also dictate what features employees have access to.

Although corporate concerns with solutions tend to take a more inward focus, it’s important to point out that Microsoft is focusing heavily on the external value of Skype in its corporate pitches. The company provides tools for corporate customers to use when they want to place Skype buttons on their site. Microsoft sees the feature as a useful customer service tool, allowing customers and companies to quickly get in touch. Whether it’s actually being used in that way is unknown.

It doesn’t get much attention, but Microsoft has expanded Skype WiFi in dramatic fashion. As of this writing, there are 2 million WiFi hotspots worldwide that Skype users can connect to and get on the Web. The minutes used are paid through Skype credits. Microsoft explicitly mentions the feature on its corporate Skype page, indicating that the company believes it’s a killer app for companies.

One of the main edicts sent down by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is that the company’s software and solutions will be platform-agnostic. Nadella believes that the future is in the cloud, and allowing customers to use Skype from any platform will only expand its user base and enable it to grow under the changing market dynamics. It’s a move that will ensure Skype’s continued growth both in the consumer and enterprise markets in years to come.

One of the crucial sales pitches Microsoft can make to enterprise customers is that Skype ably walks the line between consumer and enterprise appeal. On one hand, the service can be used by consumers who want to stay in touch with friends and family, while on the other, it can be used as a worthwhile corporate tool.

In a blog post recently, Microsoft made it abundantly clear that it believes Skype can be a core component in any company’s desire to expand the productivity of its employees. Microsoft believes that Skype helps users communicate more effectively and efficiently and ultimately improve productivity. That’s a buzzword corporate customers love to hear, and it’s something Microsoft will likely hammer home in the coming months.