Liam Tung
| August 5, 2021 — 09:40 GMT (10:40 BST)
| Topic: Enterprise Software
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Skype for Business Online has been officially retired, exactly two years after Microsoft announced its plans to transition customers and their users to a “Teams only” environment.
Skype for Business Online was officially retired on July 31, although some organizations that haven’t migrated yet still have access to it, assuming they’ve signed up for Microsoft’s “assisted upgrades”, which began on August 1 and target last mile migration steps.
After the assisted upgrade, users sign out of Skype for Business Online and start using Teams for messaging, meetings and calling. After the upgrade, all new online users will be added in “Teams Only” mode, ending the “Coexistence Mode” available until then.
Microsoft has a description of changes that will happen for users when organizations move to Teams Only mode.
One group the end of support deadline doesn’t apply to immediately is GCC-High and Department of Defense cloud customers.
Those cloud customers “will complete their transitions to Teams after the retirement of Skype for Business Online, and will receive scheduling information directly as well as through their account teams,” Microsoft notes.
SEE: When the return to the office happens, don’t leave remote workers out in the cold
Microsoft hasn’t said what its plans are for Skype for consumers. However, in Windows 11, Microsoft is replacing the Skype Meet Now button with a Teams Chat icon, signaling a brighter future for the Teams at the expense of Skype.
Skype got a “Meet Now” feature when Microsoft announced its Microsoft 365 branding in March 2020. Since then, Microsoft has made Teams consumer features more broadly available, including special features like Together Mode where video meeting participants are superimposed with AI-segmenting technology in a common room.
“The retirement of Skype for Business Online does not affect the Skype consumer service, Skype for Business Server products and Skype for Business Online operated by 21Vianet (China Sovereign Clouds Instance),” it said.
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Liam Tung
| August 5, 2021 — 09:40 GMT (10:40 BST)
| Topic: Enterprise Software