Skype for Business Server SE: Subscriptions and a Short Migration Window

• Microsoft announced in June 2024 that Skype for Business Server SE is planned for general availability in early Q3 2025.
• The new version will require either User Subscription Licenses or Software Assurance, which will increase costs for many customers.
• Extended support for previous versions ends in Oct. 2025, leaving a very tight window of support to perform upgrades.
• Customers who still need Skype for Business Server should upgrade to 2019 now for the best migration path to SE in 2025.

Skype for Business Server Subscription Edition (SE), the next version of Microsoft’s on-premises unified communication suite, will be available in early Q3 of 2025 and will provide ongoing support for customers who need Skype for Business Server beyond Oct. 2025. However, there are two significant concerns impacting costs and migration planning of which customers need to be aware:

License change. The new version moves to a licensing model that requires ongoing cost, either in the form of User Subscription Licenses (SLs) or Software Assurance (SA). This change will require new licenses for organizations that did not carry SA on their existing on-premises licenses.