Microsoft unveils Skype for Business as part of Office 365, taking a step closer towards integrating its various communications tools.
Skype for Business is the latest platform for online calls and meetings. It is essentially a rebranding of the company's Lync communication software, which Microsoft launched earlier this year, Wall Street Journal reported. Skype for Business is a new feature of Microsoft Office 365, the cloud-based subscription version of Microsoft’s enterprise software bundle.
It includes the ability to broadcast teleconference meetings to thousands of employees and allow people to call into a group teleconference managed by Microsoft's software. Among other features, it enables businesses to hold virtual meetings with up to 10,000 participants on nearly any device. It also includes integration with Bing Pulse, a real-time polling tool, and Yammer, the enterprise social network Microsoft acquired in 2012.
Participants can join meetings by dialing in on a landline or mobile phone, or with a single-touch option on desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones. Users can also make traditional calls through the cloud-based platform, which builds on similar features on Microsoft’s previous Lync online call service.
In addition to Skype for Business, highest-end Office 365 also offers new security and data analytics capabilities, according to Venture Beat. Among them are Delve Analytics, Power BI, Customer Lockbox, Advanced eDiscovery, and Advanced Threat Protection.
The Redmond, Washington based tech giant is hoping that by bringing the communication stack right into Office, enterprises will be able to replace their separate meeting systems with a single solution.
Microsoft will charge users $35 per user per month ($420 annually) for its new highest-end Office 365 business plan.