skype for business plans and pricing

Explore Skype for Business

If you already use Skype to stay in touch with friends and family in your life away from work, you'll appreciate the power and simplicity of Skype for Business where it's easy to find and connect with co-workers. And you can use the devices you already have to reach businesses through an enterprise-grade, secure, IT-managed platform.

New look and feel

If you’re a regular user of the commercial version of Skype, then Skype for Business will seem very familiar: the Contacts list, presence indicators, buttons and icons, and even the app sounds should make you feel right at home. Learn more .

Of course, all the essential Lync features are still there—like the Quick Actions buttons, which let you IM or call a contact (and more) with just one click or tap.

In the Skype Meeting window , the simplified arrangement of controls and menus makes it easy to find the command you need. In the conversation window , chat text is formatted so you can easily see who’s talking, and tabbed conversations allow you to keep track of several discussions at once.

If you've ever had someone send you a file during an IM conversation, then file transfer preview is another feature of the new Skype for Business look and feel you'll appreciate. When someone sends you a file, select Download in the IM window to update the file's icon, or right-click or tap and hold to forward, preview, or delete it.

Call from Skype for Business using your desk phone for audio

Important:  This feature is available only if your organization has Skype for Business Server 2015.

If you have a Phone System in Microsoft 365 desk phone and your IT department has configured it to work with Skype for Business you can search for people in your organization and place calls to them from within the Skype for Business user interface, while audio for the call flows through your standard Phone System desk phone. You can also place calls from the Skype for Business client using any phone near you (like your mobile, home, or hotel phone). The person you’re calling sees your phone number as though you were calling from your company's main phone number. When you make a Skype for Business call with audio routed through your desk phone, you get great audio, plus:

IM—so you can do a quick copy/paste of a URL you want to share, for example

Desktop and app sharing—so you can easily show and tell, work through problems, or explain stuff with visuals

Attachments—send files to the other person without leaving Skype for Business

Server admins enable and configure this feature for the enterprise. End users have limited configuration capabilities, which include turning the feature on or off for their individual account (once it's enabled at the enterprise level) and setting the phone number that Skype for Business should call. If the number has been set and locked by the administrator, then outgoing call options will be unavailable.

For more information, see Make a Skype for Business call but use your Phone System in Microsoft 365 desk phone for audio

Integration with the Skype directory

Important:  This feature requires:

The Skype for Business user interface (not supported inLync)

Skype for Business users can connect over the Internet with hundreds of millions of Skype users right from the Skype for Business user interface. The first step is to search for your contact.

In the search box on the Contacts view of the Skype for Business main window, type a name, IM address, or desk phone number (if they are in your organization). As you type, search results will start appearing below the search box and the tabs will change from Groups, Status, Relationships, and New:

to My Contacts and Skype Directory:

If the person you are searching for is in your organization, keep the My Contacts tab selected (that's the default). When My Contacts is selected, Skype for Business searches in your organization's address book.

If the person you are searching for is not in your organization but you know they have a Skype account, click the Skype Directory tab to search for them among the millions of Skype users out there. Knowing their Skype ID and location helps narrow the search quickly. You can also search using their email address or Microsoft account (for example, [email protected]).

Note:  Your administrator enables or disables the Skype Directory search feature in accordance with your organization's search policy. If you don't see a Skype Directory tab like the one shown in the screen shot above, then you won't be able to search for Skype users.

When you search for contacts in the Skype directory, you can add them to your contact list, have an instant messaging conversation, see their presence information, and have an audio or video call with them. Note that the Skype directory only contains contact information for Skype users, not Skype for Business users. A Skype user who wants to add a Skype for Business user to their contact list must use the Skype for Business user's full email address, such as [email protected].

Call Monitor

Call Monitor is a popular Skype feature that's now available in Skype for Business. With Call Monitor, you can move back and forth between a full Skype for Business window, for those times when you're actively participating in the call, and a compact version that lets you continue to monitor call progress—and mute or end the call—while focusing on other tasks.

The compact Call Monitor window appears during an audio or video call whenever the main conversation window is minimized. To show the full conversation window again, simply double-click or double-tap the Call Monitor.

Rate My Call

The Rate My Call feature lets Skype for Business Server 2015 administrators collect call data, access standard reports, and export raw data for further analysis. Users are prompted to take a survey after completing a call.

Rate My Call reports are not available to Skype for Business Online tenant admins at this time.

Quick access to call controls

Access to the dial pad and call controls is much improved. For Calling Plans in Microsoft 365 calls, the dial-pad and call controls remain visible throughout the call. For other calls, the dial-pad and call controls are accessible with one click.

Skype for Business now includes the same set of emoticons found in the consumer version of Skype. You can turn off emoticons in Skype for Business by going to Options > IM . No server setting is available.

Skype for Business is now on Mac

Skype for Business on Mac gives you a fresh new interface, simplified controls, and some great new additions.

If you’re a regular user of the commercial version of Skype, then Skype for Business for Mac will seem very familiar: your photo, presence indicator, and easy to use buttons and icons will make you feel right at home.

Improved meeting experiences

Easy one-click join feature, full-screen video, and a choice of views make the experience for meetings smoother and easier than ever.

One-click join     See your schedule for today and tomorrow, preview meeting details, and join right from the Meetings tab.

Meeting actions     Easily mute, add participants, IM your colleagues, and share and view the desktop.

Contacts     Finding and adding contacts has never been easier. Call, chat, and share your desktop in a snap.

Groups     Add or remove contact groups and distribution lists. When you send a message to a contact group or DL, everybody in that group gets the message. (Applies to Skype for Business Online users and to Skype for Business Server 2015 with December 2016 or later updates .)

Chats     Use instant messaging (IM) to connect with your contacts in real time and on a moment’s notice.

Chat history     Find a previous conversation and rejoin a conversation at any time.

Presence     Let people know that you're available, and also see whether people are offline or online, and whether they’re busy, in a meeting, or available.

Personal notes     Add a message to your presence status to give people more information about what you’re up to.

Video     Full screen and high-definition video for a better meeting experience.

Group video calling     See up to four meeting participants in the meeting window at the same time, with better video quality, smart transitions from presenters and participants, and the ability to share content

Calls     Manage all aspects of calling with voice mail, missed calls, call logs, call forwarding, and simultaneous ringing.

Accessibility     Improved keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and visual enhancements help make Skype for Business on Mac friendlier for everyone.

More good things to come

New features will be available in the coming months, including offline messaging, video-based screen sharing, application sharing, and meeting recording. For more information, see What's new in Skype for Business and Known issues .

Skype for Business help

Install Skype for Business

Need more help?

Want more options.

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

Microsoft 365 training

Microsoft security

Accessibility center

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

Ask the Microsoft Community

Microsoft Tech Community

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

Licensing Guide

Client Licenses  are required to access all Skype for Business Online and Server features.

• Standard CALs enable users or devices to connect to Skype for Business Server for presence, IM, peer-to-peer VoIP and HD video, and Skype connectivity.
• For Skype for Business Server, client licenses are available through the standalone client, with Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, or by downloading the free Skype for Business Basic client.

User Subscription License (USLs)  are required to use Skype for Business Online.

• Online Plan 1 enables presence, instant messaging (IM), peer-to-peer VoIP and HD video, and Skype connectivity.
• Online Plan 2 enables all the above plus scheduled and impromptu meetings with audio and video calling, and desktop and application sharing on mobile phones, tablets, PC, and Mac.

Client Access License (CALs)  are required to use Skype for Business Server.

• Enterprise CALs enable scheduled and impromptu meetings with audio and video calling, desktop and application sharing, and dial-in conferencing on mobile phones, tablets, PC and Mac. The Standard CAL is a prerequisite for Enterprise CAL.
• Plus CALs enable PSTN in/out, emergency calling, and other enterprise-grade phone features. The Standard CAL is a prerequisite for Plus CAL.

In addition to CALs,  server licenses  are required for every front-end server.

More resources

Find a Partner

Become a Partner

Related products

Viva Engage

Microsoft 365

Follow Microsoft 365

• Contact sales

Available M-F 6 AM to 6 PM PT.

This browser is no longer supported.

Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.

Set up Skype for Business Online

• 13 contributors
• Applies to: Skype for Business

Skype for Business Online operated by 21Vianet in China will be retired on October 1, 2023. If you haven't upgraded your Skype for Business Online users yet, they will be automatically scheduled for an assisted upgrade . If you want to upgrade your organization to Teams yourself, we strongly recommend that you begin planning your upgrade path today. Remember that a successful upgrade aligns technical and user readiness, so be sure to leverage our upgrade guidance as you navigate your journey to Teams.

Skype for Business Online, excluding the service operated by 21Vianet in China, was retired on July 31, 2021.

If you have a firewall or proxy server that restricts access to parts of the web, consider hiring a Microsoft partner to set up Skype for Business for you.

Setting up Skype

Looks like you need help setting up Skype with your Microsoft 365 or Office 365 subscription. You can follow the steps in this article to get your setup completed.

1. Plan for Skype for Business

If you have Microsoft 365 Business Premium Standard or Business Essentials , you can use Skype for Business to make online calls to other people in your business who are on your subscription. For example, if your business has 10 people, you'll be able to Start using Skype for Business for IM and online meetings each other, and Meetings with Skype for Business using Skype for Business after performing the steps 2-6 below. And you can Set up a Skype for Business meeting in Outlook to online meetings, too!

If you want to use Skype for Business to make and receive calls from people external to your business:

Option 1. Use the free Skype app . If you have a small business (for example, 1-2 people), using the Skype app is the better way to go. It's less expensive to use for domestic and international calls. You can still hold conference calls, make video calls, and share your desktop for presentations. Check out the rates and payment options .

Option 2. Upgrade your plan, and buy the Phone System and a Calling Plan for Office 365 . The easiest way to find out how much this costs, and then make the switch, is to Contact support for business products - Admin Help and have them do everything for you.

To learn more, see Plan your setup of Office 365 for business .

2. Sign in to Office 365

Skype for Business Online is part of the Office 365 suite of services. To set up Skype for Business Online, you need to sign in to Office 365. Here's how you do that:

Locate your Microsoft 365 or Office 365 user ID (for example, [email protected] ). You received an email from the Microsoft Online Services Team that contains the Microsoft 365 or Office 365 user ID that you created when you purchased Skype for Business Online. The mail looks something like this:

Sign in to the admin center and enter your Microsoft 365 or Office 365 user ID and password.

3. Set up your domain and users

Now that you're signed in to Office 365, you can set up your domain and people in your organization to use Skype for Business Online.

Add a domain and users to Office 365 : Use the Office 365 setup wizard to set up your custom domain (such as fourthcoffee.com ) with Office 365. By default, the Office 365 setup wizard includes setting up Skype for Business Online and creating your Skype for Business user IDs. If you already used the wizard to set up your domain for Office 365, then you've completed this step.

Check your domain and DNS connections : Use our tool - the domains troubleshooter - to check that your domain and DNS settings are correct. Doing this now will go a long way to helping figure out any setup issues later since you'll be able to eliminate DNS settings as the source of future issues.

Office 365 URLs and IP address ranges : Most small businesses don't need to do this step. But if you have a firewall or proxy server that restricts access to parts of the web , you must create rules to allow access to the Skype for Business Online endpoints. This is an advanced step best performed by someone experienced with configuring firewalls and proxy servers. If you haven't done this before, consider hiring a Microsoft partner to set up Skype for Business for you.

4. Set up IM and presence in your organization

Instant Messaging (IM) and presence ( Control access to your presence information in Skype for Business ) are basic features included with Skype for Business. By default, the people in your business can Skype and IM with each other.

Choose who else your Skype for Business users can communicate with:

Allow users to contact external Skype for Business users Both you and the other business will need to configure your systems.

IMPORTANT : If you have two domains in your business, such as [email protected] and [email protected], you need to do this step so all of your users can communicate with each other.

Let Skype for Business users add Skype contacts outside your business

Choose who sees whether co-workers are online: The presence feature shows who's online and what their availability is, such as available, busy, away, or presenting.

You can choose the default settings for everyone in your business:

Automatically display a person's online presence to everyone in the organization

Display a person's online presence only to their contacts

For instructions, see Configure presence in Skype for Business Online .

5. Download and install Skype for Business

To use Skype for Business on your PC, Mac, or mobile device, you and other people in your business have to first install the Skype for Business download on your devices.

Install Skype for Business : Instructions for how to download the app from the Microsoft 365 admin center, and install it on your PC or Mac.

Deploy the Skype for Business client in Office 365 : Instructions for deploying the app in a large enterprise.

Install Skype for Business : Download, install, and sign in to Skype for Business on Android devices, iOS devices, and Windows phones.

Turn on or off mobile phone notifications : When you have Skype for Business installed on a mobile device, you and others in your business can receive alerts about incoming and missed instant messages.

6. Test to make sure everything is working

First, test whether you and others in your business can Video: Sign in and out of Skype for Business . Check that you can IM each other, see each other's presence, and try a quick meeting.

Problems? Do the following:

Need help signing in to Skype for Business? of common sign-in problems.

Contact support for business products - Admin Help . We're here to help!

Do you want to set up other available features?

Before setting up more features, make sure you have licenses for them. Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams add-on licensing

Set up Audio Conferencing

Sometimes people in your organization will need to use a phone to call into a meeting. Skype for Business includes the Audio Conferencing feature for just this situation! People can call into Skype for Business meetings using a phone, instead of using the Skype for Business app on a mobile device or PC.

Set up Phone System and the Calling plans in Office 365

The Phone System feature in Office 365 gives you a phone system for your business. Calls to other Skype for Business people in your organization are free, and your employees can receive voicemail from each other and outside callers. Here's what you get with Phone System.

When you add the Calling Plan service, your employees get a primary phone number in Skype for Business. They can make and receive phone calls outside of your business. They can make voice calls across VoIP phones, PCs, and mobile devices. And, in case of emergencies, they can call 911 for help.

For step-by-step setup instructions, see Set up Calling Plans.

Set up Skype Meeting Broadcast

Skype Meeting Broadcast is a feature that lets you produce, host, and broadcast meetings with up to 10,000 attendees. To learn more about how it works, see What is a Skype Meeting Broadcast?

Here's an overview of the steps to set up Skype Meeting Broadcast:

Assign or remove licenses for Office 365 for business : Assign Skype for Business Online or Enterprise Plan licenses to everyone who is going to host a Broadcast meeting.

Enable Skype Meeting Broadcast : By default, this feature isn't enabled. After you turn it on, your users will be able to host broadcast meetings with other people in your organization.

Set up your network for Skype Meeting Broadcast : If you want to host webinars and other broadcasts with attendees outside of your organization, you need to configure your network.

Schedule a Skype Meeting Broadcast and have a Join a Skype Meeting Broadcast : Make sure broadcast meetings work by scheduling a Skype Meeting Broadcast at *https://portal.broadcast.skype.com* and then having someone try to join the meeting.

Learn about network connectivity requirements

The quality of audio, video, and application sharing in Skype for Business is greatly impacted by the quality of end-to-end network connectivity. For an optimal experience, it is important to make sure there is a high-quality connection between your company network and Skype for Business Online. For network and tuning information, see Tune Skype for Business Online performance .

All done setting up? Getting started using Skype for Business

Skype for Business training : Check out this list of training topics to help you get started quickly!

Start a Skype for Business conference call

Set Video Device options in Skype for Business

Make and receive a video call using Skype for Business

Discover free video courses for Office 365 admins and IT pros , brought to you by LinkedIn Learning.

Related topics

Plan hybrid connectivity between Skype for Business Server and Skype for Business Online

Additional resources

• Microsoft 365, Office 2021
• Office 2019, 2016, 2013
• Office 2010
• Redeem or activate
• Enter your product key
• Product key FAQ
• Change your product key
• Product key for Office 2010
• Activate Office or Microsoft 365
• Deactivate an installation of Office or Microsoft 365
• Unlicensed Product error
• Activate Office or Microsoft 365 for Mac
• Activate Office 2010
• Language pack for Office or Microsoft 365
• 64-bit or 32-bit version of Office or Microsoft 365
• Offline installer
• Install Project
• Install Visio

Install Skype for Business

• Set up apps and email on mobile
• Update Office or Microsoft 365 on PC
• Update Office or Microsoft 365 for Mac
• Upgrade macOS
• How do I upgrade my version?
• End of support for Office 2013
• End of support for Office 2010
• End of support for Office 2016 for Mac
• End of support for Office 2019 for Mac
• What Windows end of support means for Office and Microsoft 365
• Troubleshoot installing Office or Microsoft 365
• Find Office or Microsoft 365 applications
• Office or Microsoft 365 is taking long to install
• Uninstall Office or Microsoft 365 from a PC
• Uninstall Office or Microsoft 365 for Mac

Skype for Business is part of the Microsoft 365 suite of products. What's Skype for Business?

Some Office 365 plans do not include the full Skype for Business client. For these plans, Skype for Business Basic is available without additional cost.

You get the Skype for Business download from the Microsoft 365 portal, and then install it on your computer. These steps usually take 10-15 minutes to do. Choose from the instructions below.

Install Skype for Business on Windows

Download and install Skype for Business Basic

The Skype for Business Basic client is designed to be used on systems that need only basic functionality. It provides instant messaging (IM), audio and video calls, online meetings, availability (presence) information, and sharing capabilities.

You will need an active account to use the Skype for Business Basic client.

When you click the Download button on the page, you will be prompted to choose the download that matches the edition of your other Office applications (32-bit edition or 64-bit edition). If you don't know, choose 32. The installer will check the edition for you.

If you want to deploy Skype for Business Basic to a large number of people in your business, see Deploy the Skype for Business client in Microsoft 365 for information about deployment tools you can use.

Download and install Skype for Business with Microsoft 365

These instructions explain how to get to the Skype for Business download, and install it.

Tip:  If you don't see the Skype for Business download in your portal, make sure the Microsoft 365 for business plan you purchased includes it. Also, ask the person in your business who purchased it whether they assigned a license to you.

Sign in to Microsoft 365 at https://admin.microsoft.com/ .

Choose Software .

Depending on your Microsoft 365 plan:

If you see the following page, choose Skype for Business , choose your language, the edition that matches your other Office applications ( 32 bit or 64 bit - if you don't know, choose the default) and choose Install . Then go to step 5 .

If Skype for Business is bundled with other Microsoft 365 applications, you'll see the following page. Choose Install to install the Microsoft 365 suite of applications, including Skype for Business. When you're done, go to Sign in for the first time at the end of these steps.

If you don't see Skype for Business listed at all, then it's not included in your Microsoft 365 business plan -OR- your admin hasn't assigned a license to you. Ask your admin (the person who gave you sign-in information) for help.

At the bottom of your screen, choose Save as to download the setupskypeforbusinessentryretail.exe file to your computer.

Important:  Note where you saved the setupskypeforbusinessentryretail.exe file on your computer. If Skype for Business stops during setup, this is where you go to re-run it.

After the setupskypeforbusinessentryretail.exe file has downloaded, choose Run .

The Office installer starts, and displays a message that it's installing Office. However, it's only installing Skype for Business. It is not installing all of Office.

When the Office installer is finished, it displays a message that Office was installed on your computer. However, only Skype for Business was installed. Choose Close .

Launch Skype for Business. At the First things first box, if you accept the licensing agreement, choose Accept .

You can install Skype for Business on up to 5 PCs. To install Skype for Business on another PC:

Log on to your next PC.

Repeat the steps listed in the above procedure to download and install Skype for Business.

Congratulations! You're done installing Skype for Business. Now you're ready to sign in to Skype for Business for the first time.

Sign in for the first time

At the Skype for Business sign in page, enter your Microsoft 365 user ID and password, and then choose Sign in .

For example, if you use [email protected] to sign in to Microsoft 365, that's what you'll enter to sign in to Skype for Business.

Enter your password for Microsoft 365.

At the next page, if you want to save your password for signing in next time, choose Yes .

At the Help Make Skype for Business Better box, choose whether to allow us to collect error logs and device configuration info.

Congratulations! Now you're ready to take the Skype for Business video training .

Install Skype for Business with Office 2007, 2010, or 2013

If you have Office 2007, 2010, or 2013, you can safely install and use Skype for Business 2016. It won't overwrite your existing Office programs UNLESS YOU ARE INSTALLING MICROSOFT 365 PROPLUS . Please read all the information below before installing.

What happens when I install Skype for Business 2016 on a computer that has Office 2007, 2010, or 2013?

Use the instructions to install Skype for Business for the plan you have:

Download and install Skype for Business with Microsoft 365 (in this article)

Install Skype for Business Online : choose if you purchased the standalone version of the product.

When you go to install Skype for Business 2016, you'll see this page, which indicates that you're only going to install Skype for Business:

When you choose Install , the Office installer will start. It looks like all of Office is being installed, but it's only installing Skype for Business.

If you have Office 2007, Skype for Business 2016 won't be fully integrated with your Office programs. For example, you won't see the presence of your co-workers when you type an email in Outlook (by "presence" I mean you won't see whether they're available, busy, or away), and you won't have a few other features. But you will have chat (IM) and conferencing with your co-workers.

IMPORTANT: IF YOU PURCHASED MICROSOFT 365 PROPLUS YOU WILL HAVE TO UPGRADE TO THE ENTIRE OFFICE 2016 PACKAGE IN ORDER TO GET SKYPE FOR BUSINESS. IT WILL OVERWRITE PREVIOUS VERSIONS OF OFFICE . When you go to install Skype for Business, you'll know you have Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise because you won't see an option to install Skype for Business by itself; you'll see this instead:

If you don't want to upgrade to Office 2016, talk to the person who purchased your Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise plan to see about getting a standalone Skype for Business Online Plan subscription.

More Skype for Business install instructions

Don't see what you need in this article? Check out the following install instructions:

Install Skype for Business with Microsoft 365 ProPlus - With Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, the entire Office 2016 suite is installed. There's no option to only install Skype for Business by itself.

Deploy the Skype for Business client in Microsoft 365 - Choose this option if you want to deploy Skype for Business in a large enterprise.

Install Skype for Business on Mac

Download skype for business on mac from microsoft 365.

These instructions explain how to download and install Skype for Business on Mac from the Microsoft 365 portal. Before you begin, we recommend that you view the system requirements .

Under Software , choose Skype for Business .

Note:  If you don't see the Skype for Business download in your portal, make sure the Microsoft 365 for business plan you purchased includes it. Also, ask the person in your business who purchased it whether they assigned a license to you.

On the Install Skype for Business on Mac page, click Install . Skype for Business will be downloaded to your computer.

On you Dock, click Downloads > Open Finder .

Choose SkypeForBusinessInstaller_<nn.n.n.nnn>.pkg .

Follow the prompts in the Skype for Business Installer .

You're done installing Skype for Business on Mac. Now you're ready to sign in to Skype for Business on Mac .

Download Skype for Business on Mac from the Download Center

These instructions explain how to download and install Skype for Business on Mac from the Microsoft Download Center. Before you begin, we recommend that you view the system requirements .

Go to the download page for Skype for Business on Mac .

Click the Download button.

Save the installer package file (.pkg) to your computer.

On your computer, double-click the .pkg file to launch the Skype for Business Installer .

Related topics

Install Skype for Business on a mobile device

Uninstall Skype for Business

Buy Skype for Business

Download the non-business version of Skype

Need more help?

Want more options.

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

Microsoft 365 training

Microsoft security

Accessibility center

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

Ask the Microsoft Community

Microsoft Tech Community

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Find solutions to common problems or get help from a support agent.

Online support

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.