• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechChange the World

Microsoft Plans to Kill Skype for Business in Favor of Teams

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 25, 2017, 3:08 PM ET

Microsoft plans to replace its Skype for Business online phone service.

The business technology giant said Monday that its Microsoft Teams app would replace Skype for Business as the company’s Office 365 app for workplace communications like chatting and sharing documents.

Microsoft (MSFT) didn’t say when it would stop supporting Skype for Business, only that it gradually plans to phase it out in favor of Teams.

Microsoft debuted Teams in March amid tough competition in the workplace chatting software market in which it faces off against Slack, Cisco (CSCO), Google (GOOG) and its Google Hangouts service, and business software company Atlassian (TEAM).

Meanwhile, Microsoft has continued to update Skype for Business over the past year with features like an automated voice system that routes in-coming calls to the correct recipients. Unlike the popular free version of Skype, businesses must pay monthly subscription fees for features like the ability to hold big web meetings and improved security.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

It appears that Microsoft believes it can get more customers by de-emphasizing Skype for Business in favor of its younger software, which is receiving a bigger marketing push. Microsoft debuted Skype for Business just three years ago as an improved version of its older Lync video conferencing software.

Now, Microsoft is essentially saying goodbye to the Skype for Business name. In the meantime, the company still plans to release a new version of the service for customers to use in their internal data centers in the second half of 2018, the company said.

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Europe
George Clooney moves to France and sends a strong message about the American Dream
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 30, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Environment
'I opened her door and the wind caught me, and I went flying': The U.S. Arctic air surge is sweeping northerners off their feet
By Holly Ramer and The Associated PressDecember 30, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Gen Z could wave goodbye to résumés because most companies have turned to skills-based recruitment—and find it more effective, research shows
By Orianna Rosa RoyleDecember 29, 2025
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Health
Lay's drastically rebrands after disturbing finding: 42% of consumers didn't know their chips were made out of potatoes
By Matty Merritt and Morning BrewDecember 31, 2025
18 hours ago
placeholder alt text
C-Suite
Exiting CEO left each employee at his family-owned company a $443,000 gift—but they have to stay 5 more years to get all of it
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 30, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Retail
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol says a Reddit thread about people interviewing at the company convinced him his 'Back to Starbucks' plan is working
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 31, 2025
18 hours ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Tech

C-SuiteLeadership Next
For CEOs in 2025, the year was all about wellness, AI adoption, and changing consumer habits
By Fortune EditorsDecember 31, 2025
15 hours ago
xi
EconomyChina
Xi touts China’s AI, chip wins in triumphant New Year’s speech
By BloombergDecember 31, 2025
15 hours ago
Donald Trump on the phone in front of a Christmas tree
Startups & VentureDonald Trump
Trump Mobile says its first-ever smartphone is delayed, and the government shutdown is to blame
By Dave SmithDecember 31, 2025
20 hours ago
MGI
CommentaryProductivity
The world is awash in wealth but starved for productivity—and that imbalance is distorting growth, debt, and opportunity. We need AI to come through
By Jan Mischke, Olivia White and Rebecca J. AndersonDecember 31, 2025
21 hours ago
Melinda French Gates
SuccessMelinda French Gates
Melinda French Gates got her start at Microsoft because an IBM hiring manager told her to turn down its job offer—’It dumbfounded me’
By Emma BurleighDecember 31, 2025
22 hours ago
Nobuo Hayasaka, president of Kioxia Holdings Corp., stands for photographs during the company's listing ceremony at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024.
AIJapan
A Japanese company you’ve never heard of walloped every major US company to become the best-performing stock of 2025
By Eva RoytburgDecember 31, 2025
1 day ago