Skype Consumer Service

Skype (not Skype for Business, which was formerly called Lync) is a Microsoft-hosted communications service, featuring voice, video, instant messaging (IM), presence, and file sharing, primarily for consumers and small businesses.

Compared to Skype for Business

Although Skype is most often viewed as a consumer and small-business communications service, it has 300 million users and a global deployment, and is often able to provide better international dialing rates than many traditional telecommunications providers.

Skype telephony features offer many of the same capabilities as an on-premises PBX and Skype for Business installation. However, it is not an enterprise replacement for either. Similar to a PBX, Skype enables inbound and outbound calling, connectivity to public telephone networks, caller ID, and voice mail. However, it lacks critical enterprise features, including call transferring, call parking, enhanced 911 emergency location service, and porting of existing phone numbers.