Implementing Skype for Business: Planning for integration, adoption, and architecture

Microsoft has always promoted Lync as a great tool for business communication and collaboration. The adoption of Skype validates this. With the acquisition of Skype in 2011, Microsoft found itself with two of the leading collaboration platforms under one roof. Over time, Lync and Skype have integrated to a certain degree.

But now Microsoft is taking the platforms to the next level. The newest release of Lync will officially be renamed Skype for Business. This change will carry across the entire product family, including on premise servers, clients, and Office 365 Lync Online. This article will provide some guidelines for implementing Skype for Business into your environment, including integration possibilities with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, adoption best practices, and architectural options.

The client changes will be the most visible difference to users. If they are already Skype users, then they will feel right at home. Existing Lync users will benefit from the intuitive user interface provided by Skype. The client will switch back to the previous interface, also called Lync mode, if the server they are connecting to is running a previous version of Lync.  Administrators can control client behaviour using the server policies settings.

As Skype for Business extends the current Lync product family, upgrading should be relatively straightforward. The new product will install over the top of existing Lync Server deployments, upgrading them in the process. If your Lync infrastructure is performing efficiently today, then it will be able to easily handle the new combined product. Skype for Business will easily integrate into existing Microsoft-based infrastructure, using Active Directory accounts for authentication.

A major benefit of this update will be the ability to provide your staff with access to hundreds of millions of Skype users via audio and video chat via federation, ...