Skype Connect Deployment Explained

Skype Connect, a feature available for companies with a Skype business account, enables an on-premises private branch exchange (PBX) to automatically route calls through Skype. This helps organizations take advantage of Skype’s low-cost international rates, while maintaining their investment in existing PBX solutions and desktop phones.

Deploying Skype Connect requires creating a Skype business account and the following steps:

Connection to on-premises PBX. A Skype account is connected to an on-premises PBX by creating an online configuration in Skype, known as a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) profile. A SIP profile is registered in the on-premises PBX, ensuring that all inbound Skype calls are handled in the same manner as public telephone calls. For outbound calls, the PBX uses the SIP profile to determine whether calls are routed via the public telephone network or Skype, ensuring the lowest-cost route is used. Most organizations that use Skype Connect create multiple SIP profiles to manage call routine and cost by department or destination. For example, a SIP profile can be created for a sales department or to define the routing and budget for calls to South America. The number of SIP profiles allowed is only restricted by the capabilities of an organization’s PBX. Most modern PBXs have SIP-enabled capabilities and third-party appliances are available to provide the functionality for older systems.