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). |