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Skype for Business Online service description

Note

Microsoft Teams is now the primary client for messaging, meetings, and calling in Office 365. Starting October 1, 2018, new customers with 500 seats or less will be onboarded to Microsoft Teams and will not have access to Skype for Business Online. As of September 1, 2019, this applies to all new customers. Tenants already using Skype for Business Online can continue doing so (including provisioning new users) until they complete their transition to Microsoft Teams.

Note

Skype for Business Online Plan 2 retired from sale on July 1, 2019. This means that you will no longer be able to acquire Skype for Business Online Plan 2 for instant messaging, presence, meetings, and peer-to-peer voice and video. These features will continue to be supported in all plans that include Teams, including Office 365 suites. When your plan expires at the end of your current term, in order to have continued access to these features, you'll have to switch to a different plan. We recommend that you evaluate the Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Premium, or any other Office suites for users that currently have Skype for Business Online Plan 2 assigned.

Do you want to know what licenses you need to buy to get certain Skype for Business features? See the Skype for Business add-on licensing.

Skype for Business Online is a communications service that connects people for conversations anytime and from anywhere. It gives users access to information about presence, and enables instant messaging, audio and video calling, and extensive web conferencing capabilities.

Skype for Business is hosted on multi-tenant servers that support multiple customers simultaneously. These servers are housed in Microsoft data centers and are accessible to users on a wide range of devices from inside a corporate network or over the internet.

Find out about Skype for Business Online

For information about new features in Skype for Business Online, see Explore Skype for Business and What's new in Skype for Business.

Compare Skype for Business Online features

We recommend that you use our simple comparison page to choose your version of Skype for Business Online. See Find the right Microsoft Teams for your business. If you want a more in-depth comparison, see the feature tables below. If you need extra help with this, call support. You can select your locale from the drop-down list to get a local number.

For a more detailed comparison, see Microsoft 365 plan options.

To compare individual features across Skype for Business desktop and web clients, see the Desktop client feature comparison for Skype for Business Server 2015. For a detailed comparison of the Skype for Business mobile clients, see the Mobile client feature comparison for Skype for Business

For a more detailed comparison, see the following table.

Feature Skype for Business Server 2015 Microsoft 365 Business Basic Microsoft 365 Business Standard Office 365 E1 Office 365 E3 Office 365 E5 Office 365 F3
Clients for Skype for Business Online
Skype for Business Full
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Skype for Business Basic
No
Yes1
Yes1
Yes1
No
No
Yes1
Lync 2013 Basic
No
Yes1
Yes1
Yes1
No
No
Yes1
Skype for Business Windows Store app
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Lync for Mac 2011
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Skype for Business mobile clients
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Skype for Business Web App
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Instant messaging, presence, and contacts
Skype for Business Server 2015
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
Office 365 E1
Office 365 E3
Office 365 E5
Office 365 F3
PC-to-PC IM and presence
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Multiparty IM and presence
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Contact Card configuration
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
My Picture configuration
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
My Picture: URL photo experience
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Contact list configuration
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Unified contact store
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Address book search
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Distribution list expansion
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Persistent chat
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Photos of sender/receiver
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Skype-to-Skype audio, video, and media
Skype for Business Server 2015
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
Office 365 E1
Office 365 E3
Office 365 E5
Office 365 F3
Desktop sharing over video-based screen sharing (VbSS)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No4
Desktop and application sharing over Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No4
File transfers
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Video
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Network Quality of Service (QoS) - Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP)
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Federation and public IM connectivity
Skype for Business Server 2015
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
Office 365 E1
Office 365 E3
Office 365 E5
Office 365 F3
Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and Lync Server 2010 (IM, presence, audio, video, conferencing)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
XMPP (used by Google Talk, for example) and Sametime federation
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Skype federation
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
AOL and Yahoo! federation
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Voice calling
Skype for Business Server 2015
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
Office 365 E1
Office 365 E3
Office 365 E5
Office 365 F3
Auto attendants
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Busy options
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Branch office survivability
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Call admission control
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Call answer/initiate
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Call delegation
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Call forwarding and simultaneous ring
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Call history
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Call hold/retrieve
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Call park
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Call transfer (blind, consult, and mobile)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Caller ID
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Call waiting
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Camp-on
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Clients for PC, Mac, and mobile
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Device switching
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Distinctive ringing
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Do-not-disturb routing
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Emergency calling - static location
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes 7
No
Emergency calling - dynamic location
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Enterprise calendar call routing
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Extension dialing
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Group call pickup
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Hunt groups/call queues and treatment
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Integrated dial-pad
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Location-based routing
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Music on hold
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Outbound DID manipulation
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Private line
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Qualified IP desk phones
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Shared line appearance
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Skype and federated calling
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Team calling
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Video call monitor
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Voicemail
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Calling Plans (Domestic Calling Plan, with required add-on purchase)
No
No
No
Yes3
Yes3
Yes
No
Calling Plans (International Calling Plan, with required add-on purchase)
No
No
No
Yes3
Yes3
Yes
No
Communication Credits
No
No
No6
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Skype for Business voice
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Security and archiving
Skype for Business Server 2015
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
Office 365 E1
Office 365 E3
Office 365 E5
Office 365 F3
IM and media encryption
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
IM and file filtering
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Client version control
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
IM content archiving
Yes
No2
No2
No2
Yes
Yes
No2
Conference content archiving
Yes
No2
No2
No2
Yes
Yes
No2
Application sharing, and desktop sharing archiving
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
User-level archiving configuration
Yes
No2
No2
No2
Yes
Yes
No2
Login trace files
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Customer Key8
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Exchange and SharePoint interoperability
Skype for Business Server 2015
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
Office 365 E1
Office 365 E3
Office 365 E5
Office 365 F3
Presence interoperability with Exchange Server
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Presence interoperability with Exchange Online
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Unified Messaging interoperability with Exchange Server
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Unified Messaging interoperability with Exchange Online
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Outlook on the web interoperability
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Archiving interoperability with Exchange Server
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Archiving interoperability with Exchange Online
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Skill search with SharePoint Server
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Skill search with SharePoint Online
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Skype for Business Online administration and management
Skype for Business Server 2015
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
Office 365 E1
Office 365 E3
Office 365 E5
Office 365 F3
Microsoft Office 365 portal
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Microsoft 365 admin center
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Skype for Business admin center
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Windows PowerShell
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Skype for Business Online reporting in Microsoft 365 admin center
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No

1 The Skype for Business (Lync) client is supported for use with these subscription options, but it is not included. Lync 2013 Basic is available for all customers. The Lync Basic desktop client is a locally installed application that provides presence, instant messaging, and conferencing features for plans that include Skype for Business Online. Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, and Office 365 E3 include the full Skype for Business (Lync) application, which includes additional features such as advanced telephony support, archiving, and compliance features. A Skype for Business Online license must be assigned for each user. For more information on Lync Basic features, see Desktop client comparison tables for Lync Server 2013.
2 Archiving for Skype for Business Online depends on the Exchange In-Place Hold feature, which is not included in this plan.
3 You must assign an Exchange Online (Plan 2) plan to users who you want to have voice mail. An Exchange Online ( plan ) plan can't be used for voice mail.
4 An Office 365 F3 user may participate in a sharing session if invited by a Skype for Business Online Plan 2 or enterprise plan user.
5 Audio Conferencing can be added to Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Office 365 E1, and Office 365 E3 subscription plans as an add-on.
6 Communication Credits can be added to Microsoft 365 Business Standard subscription plan as an add-on to support Audio Conferencing only.
7Emergency Calling isn't available on Mac and mobile clients.
8 Customer Key lets you control your organization's encryption keys and then configure Microsoft to use them to encrypt your data at rest in Microsoft data centers. Data at rest includes data from Exchange Online and Skype for Business that is stored in mailboxes and files that are stored in SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business. Customer Key helps you meet compliance obligations because you control the encryption keys that Microsoft uses to decrypt data. For more information, see Service encryption with Customer Key.

Feature availability across Skype for Business Online standalone plans

The following table lists Skype for Business Online feature availability across standalone plans. For a description of these features, go to Skype for Business Online features.

Note

Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 2 licensed users will get the Skype for Business Basic client, not the full Skype for Business client. If you want users to have the Skype for Business client, you will need to upgrade them to a license that includes it, such as an Enterprise-based license. To deploy the Skype for Business client to your users, see Deploy the Skype for Business client in Microsoft 365 or Office 365.

Feature Skype for Business Server 2015 Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 1 Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 2
Clients for Skype for Business Online
Skype for Business Full
No
No
No
Skype for Business Basic
No
Yes1
Yes1
Lync 2013 Basic
No
Yes1
Yes1
Skype for Business Windows Store app
Yes
Yes
Yes
Lync for Mac 2011
Yes
Yes
Yes
Skype for Business mobile clients
Yes
Yes
Yes
Skype for Business Web App
Yes
Yes
Yes
Instant messaging, presence, and contacts
Skype for Business Server 2015
Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 1
Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 2
PC-to-PC IM and presence
Yes
Yes
Yes
Multiparty IM and presence
Yes
Yes
Yes
Contact Card configuration
Yes
Yes
Yes
My Picture configuration
Yes
Yes
Yes
My Picture: URL photo experience
Yes
No
No
Contact list configuration
Yes
Yes
Yes
Unified contact store
Yes
Yes
Yes
Address book search
Yes
Yes
Yes
Distribution list expansion
Yes
Yes
Yes
Persistent chat
Yes
No
No
Photos of sender/receiver
Yes
Yes
Yes
Skype-to-Skype audio, video, and media
Skype for Business Server 2015
Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 1
Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 2
Desktop sharing
Yes
No2
Yes
Application sharing
Yes
No2
Yes
File transfers
Yes
Yes
Yes
Voice
Yes
Yes
Yes
Video
Yes
Yes
Yes
Media path optimization
Yes
No
No
Network Quality of Service (QoS) - Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP)
Yes
No
No
Video-based screen sharing
Yes
No2
Yes
Federation and public IM connectivity
Skype for Business Server 2015
Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 1
Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 2
Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and Lync Server 2010 (IM, Presence, Audio, Video, Conferencing)
Yes
Yes
Yes
XMPP (used by Google Talk, for example) and Sametime federation
Yes
No
No
Skype federation
Yes
Yes
Yes
AOL and Yahoo! federation
Yes
No
No
Security and archiving
Skype for Business Server 2015
Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 1
Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 2
IM and media encryption
Yes
Yes
Yes
IM and file filtering
Yes
No
No
Client version control
Yes
Yes
Yes
IM content archiving
Yes
No3
No3
Conference content archiving
Yes
No3
No3
Application sharing, and desktop sharing archiving
Yes
No
No
User-level archiving configuration
Yes
No3
No3
Login trace files
Yes
Yes
Yes
Exchange and SharePoint interoperability
Skype for Business Server 2015
Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 1
Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 2
Presence interoperability with Exchange Server
Yes
Yes
Yes
Presence interoperability with Exchange Online
Yes
Yes5
Yes
Unified Messaging interoperability with Exchange Server
Yes
No
No
Unified Messaging interoperability with Exchange Online
Yes
No
No
Outlook on the web interoperability
Yes
Yes5
Yes
Archiving interoperability with Exchange Server
Yes
No
No
Archiving interoperability with Exchange Online
Yes
Yes
Yes
Skill search with SharePoint Server
Yes
No
No
Skill search with SharePoint Online
No
No
No
Skype for Business Online administration and management
Skype for Business Server 2015
Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 1
Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 2
Microsoft Office 365 portal
No
Yes
Yes
Microsoft 365 admin center
No
Yes
Yes
Skype for Business admin center
Yes
Yes
Yes
Windows PowerShell
Yes
Yes
Yes
Skype for Business Online reporting in Microsoft 365 admin center
No
No4
No4

1 The Skype for Business (Lync) client is supported for use with these subscription options, but it is not included. Lync 2013 Basic is available for all customers. The Lync Basic desktop client is a locally installed application that provides presence, instant messaging and conferencing features for plans that include Skype for Business Online. Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, and Office 365 E3 include the full Skype for Business (Lync) application, which include additional features including advanced telephony support, archiving & compliance features. A Skype for Business Online license must be assigned for each user. For more information on Lync Basic features, see Desktop client comparison tables for Lync Server 2013.
2 A Skype for Business Online Plan 1 user may participate in a sharing session if the user is invited by a Skype for Business Online Plan 2 user.
3 Archiving for Skype for Business Online depends on the Exchange In-Place Hold feature, which is not included in this plan.
4 Tenants with a standalone Skype for Business Online plan can access reporting features if the tenant also has at least one active Exchange license, such as Exchange Online Plan 1 or Exchange Online Plan 2.
5 Not supported if Exchange Online was purchased as part of a kiosk plan.

Skype Meeting Broadcast and Calling Plan Licensing Options

The following table shows licensing options for Skype Meeting Broadcast, Audio Conferencing, Phone System, and Calling Plans.

Microsoft 365 plan Skype for Business Online features
Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 2
Skype Meeting Broadcast
For organizer, producer, event team member, and authenticated attendees, a license is required.
For anonymous attendees, a license is not required.
With Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 2 or any suites that contain Plan 2, the following add-ons are available:
- Audio Conferencing (available in limited countries)
- Phone System
NOTE When purchased by itself without Calling Plans, Phone System enables hybrid voice capability only. Hybrid voice requires an on-premises customer hybrid voice deployment to enable PSTN calling using your existing PSTN service provider(s). The following Phone System add-ons are available to enable inbound and outbound PSTN calling using Microsoft as your PSTN service provider:
- Domestic Calling Plan (available in limited countries)
- International Calling Plan (available in limited countries)
Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 3
Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 3.
This plan is used only for third-party voice service providers and does not provide any calling services such as Audio Conferencing, Phone System, Domestic Calling Plans, or International Calling Plans.
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
Skype Meeting Broadcast:
For Organizer, Producer, Event Team member, and authenticated attendees, a license is required.
For anonymous attendees, a license is not required.
Audio Conferencing (in countries where available).
Office 365 E1
Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 2 (see Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 2 above for included features).
Office 365 E3
Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 2 (see Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 2 above for included features).
Office 365 E5 with Audio Conferencing
Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 2 is included (see Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 2 above for included features).
Audio Conferencing is included.
Phone System is included.
NOTE When purchased by itself without Calling Plans, Phone System enables hybrid voice capability only. Hybrid voice requires a customer on-premises hybrid voice deployment to enable PSTN calling using your existing PSTN service provider(s). The following Phone System add-ons are available to enable inbound and outbound PSTN calling using Microsoft as your PSTN service provider:
- Domestic calling plan (available in limited countries)
- International calling plan (available in limited countries)
Office 365 E5 without Audio Conferencing
Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 2 is included (see Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 2 above for included features).
Phone System is included.
NOTE When purchased by itself without Calling Plans, Phone System enables hybrid voice capability only. Hybrid voice requires an on-premises customer hybrid voice deployment to enable PSTN calling using your existing PSTN service provider(s). The following Phone System add-ons are available to enable inbound and outbound PSTN calling using Microsoft as your PSTN service provider:
- Domestic calling plan (available in limited countries).
- International calling plan (available in limited countries).