Skype for Business Server Packaging, Pricing, Licensing

Skype for Business Server 2015, generally available as of May 2015, retires the Lync brand and maintains the product’s existing licensing model and rights for on-premises deployment. Skype for Business Server is the central component in Microsoft’s unified communications technology, which enables presence, instant messaging (IM), voice and video, and application sharing and can integrate with or replace on-premises telephone systems. The new version contains no new licensing compliance or transition issues. However, costs will go up for organizations that license it per-user, and the roadmap calls for online-only features that will require hybrid configurations and subscription fees.

Unless stated otherwise, the packaging, pricing, and licensing rules presented here apply only to Skype for Business systems installed on-premises or on dedicated hardware at a service provider.

Same Licensing Model, Higher Licensing Costs

Skype for Business Server 2015 follows the server-Client Access License (CAL) licensing model of previous versions. (See the chart “Skype for Business Licensing Rules At-a-Glance“.) Each server running certain Skype for Business Server components requires one or more server licenses. Each employee or onsite contractor client who signs in (authenticates) to the organization’s Skype for Business Server installation must be assigned one or more types of CALs, and authentication is required for most Skype for Business services. Existing customers with Software Assurance (SA) on related licenses as of May 2015 receive rights to upgrade to Skype for Business Server 2015.