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An application for conducting and managing video conferences and also features integration for instant messaging

An application for conducting and managing video conferences and also features integration for instant messaging

Vote: (17 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Microsoft Corporation

Version: 16.0.1929.1162

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(17 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Microsoft Corporation

16.0.1929.1162

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • Combines the best features of Skype and Lync into one smart package
  • Really leverages the collaborative potential of the Microsoft Office suite

Cons

  • Bound to be phased out or folded into Microsoft Teams

Skype for Business, formerly known as Lync, is a video conferencing tool designed to scale to the needs of business owners all the way up to the enterprise level, and the fact that it's built by Microsoft means that it coordinates incredibly well with the interface of the Windows 10 operating system. Regardless of the scale on which you need to operate, Skype for Business can get the job done. But Microsoft luckily wasn't building from scratch where Lync is concerned. Instead, it fuses together the best of both Skype and Lync into one smooth and easy to use package. And since Microsoft for Business is part of the Windows ecosystem, that means it can coordinate with existing Office 360 apps like Outlook and Word, making it a critical communications hub for any business that already makes use of the modern Office suite.

At its core, you can expect Skype for Business to serve as the main communications center for your business. While it doesn't contain the smart threaded chat functionality that you'll find in platforms like Slack, that's not really the purpose of Lync, as the software is instead intended to foster one-on-one and direct communications. Voice over IP, video conferencing, and instant messaging options are all folded directly into the Skype for Business client, and they work about as sharply and crisply as you might expect.

Al of this is a pretty standard expectation for software of this type. It's strength comes from how well it performs, but the versatility of Lync is expanded significantly due to its integration into the Microsoft ecosysstem. It can coordinate with a wide range of different programs professionals use in their everyday lives to make work easier and automate some of the more banal stuff. For instance, you can see directly through your Sync interface whether or not someone else on the team is editing a document, and the fact that all of the communication options are filtered through a Skype for Business service adds an additional layer of protection that can help keep your privileged information secure. Everything is instead contained in the company intranet rather than floating free on the worldwide web. Files can be shared easily over the network, and contacts are similarly synced together with your existing Outlook account and Microsoft Exchange server. Then there are the features implemented directly into the communications client. That includes the ability to create a shared whiteboard, a huge boon when you're looking to coordinate a video conference. Add to that the ability to create and engage in polls, collaborate on Powerpoint documents, and share your desktop directly, and Lync has transformed into one of the most useful business communications tools around. Just keep in mind that its value grows proportionately depending on how much you've invested your company in the Office 360 format.

Pros

  • Combines the best features of Skype and Lync into one smart package
  • Really leverages the collaborative potential of the Microsoft Office suite

Cons

  • Bound to be phased out or folded into Microsoft Teams