Skype, isn't that the app we use to video call the family from Australia? For many people, Skype is that. But in business, Skype was also used for that reason. For a long time it was even the chat function within Microsoft Outlook. That is different now, because Microsoft Teams is here. Should you use Skype or Microsoft Teams?
Although you can work together conveniently within the Microsoft Office products, it was all very loose before Teams was introduced. You could of course collaborate in an online Word document, but there was no tool to keep track of projects or simply tasks with several people, in which all those aspects of mail, office programs and video calling came together. This caused many people outside of Microsoft to see what they could use. Thus, Microsoft Teams was introduced.
Microsoft Teams as a collaboration platform
It is a kind of hub where you can collaborate. One in which you create a group and share all documents about a subject in it. Make no mistake, because that comes with a huge change of mindset. Teams is, among other things, an answer to the problem that many people experience on a daily basis: work has mainly become a race against the flow of new e-mails, so that you hardly get to do what you were hired for.
Less mail, which is why Teams has a chat function to quickly say something to each other. You can also share files in Teams, so you don't have to email Word documents or Sharepoint links to each other. Very useful and especially in companies that work a lot in projects a very handy addition to Microsoft's business ecosystem within Windows. Handy, that chat function that hopefully saves some mail, but there is more. You can also make video calls in Teams. For example, you can conveniently enter a meeting via Outlook and immediately add a link to the Teams video meeting.
But what about Skype? Isn't that from Microsoft anymore? Yes, but it has decided to let Skype exist separately and opt for Teams for business. Now it still exists somewhat side by side, but in 2021 that will be completely over. Skype for Business, launched in 2015, will be gone and Microsoft Teams will then be the tool for colleagues to consult with each other. Skype for Business had all the functionalities of Lync and Skype. It was used for video meeting and chatting.
Skype vs Teams
Now it will be Teams, in which your chat message cannot be found a day later in a Conversation History folder within Outlook, but conveniently remains in the conversation. This is considerably less discreet than the easy way to keep and delete Skype conversations, because Teams seems quite strict especially in the chat function. It absolutely wants you to keep an open communication channel with the person or people you work with.
Teams has had all the online capabilities of Skype for Business since 2018. The mobile app in particular seems to be significantly better than Skype in terms of video calling. Since October 2019, all new Microsoft Office customers go to Teams by default. Once you switch from Skype for Business to Teams, Skype for Business will be disabled. Meetings that are already listed are automatically updated with a link to Teams.
Switch to Teams
It takes some getting used to to make the switch, because Teams is much more than Skype. You can do more with it and so far there doesn't seem to be a variant that allows you to chat and make video calls only. It really is Microsoft's collaboration platform and video calling and chatting are built into it.
You are therefore somewhat forced to change your working method, also in the field of other Office programs, but that is not necessary per se. You can also use Teams well as a kind of Skype, while you do not create projects and add all kinds of documents to collaborate in them. You can still use it bare as a chat tool or video calling method.
Love Skype for Business? You can use it for another year: July 31, 2021 the plug will really be pulled, with Skype for Business Online already on July 31, 2020. It is of course advised to start using Teams well before that time, so that you can receive information in time. transfer if necessary. So the answer to the question of what you should use now is definitely Microsoft Teams. Skype for Business will soon no longer exist and it is best to prepare for it well.
