Microsoft to Retire Skype for Business Online

After July 31, 2021 Office 365 users will no longer be able to access Skype for Business Online, instead the user will be directed to log on to Microsoft Teams.

For companies interested in migrating to Teams, and Teams Phone System, check out Altigen’s Direct Routing, Integrated Applications and Deployment Services on our Voice for Teams website.

For companies wanting to continue to use the Enterprise Plus version of Skype for Business – which is not being retired by Microsoft – please read on to learn more about Altigen’s Hosted Skype for Business offering.

Hosted Skype for Business

Altigen hosts the full Enterprise Plus version of Skype for Business in our cloud. Offering complete Unified Communications capabilities, fully integrated with Office 365, delivered as a fully managed service.

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Altigen’s Hosted Skype for Business Enterprise Plus versus Skype for Business Online

It’s important to note that the full Skype for Business Enterprise Plus edition, which is still widely used by organizations all over the world, is a completely different platform than Skype for Business Online and will continue to be offered by Microsoft.

Deployed in Altigen’s data centers, our Skype for Business Enterprise Plus is a delivered as a fully managed Hosted Service. We also offer cost effective SIP trunks and integrated Call Routing and Contact Center applications - all fully supported 24/7.

Skype for Business Online is hosted by Microsoft as part of most Office 365 plans. Unlike Altigen’s Hosted Skype for Business Enterprise Plus edition, Skype for Business Online is being completely replaced by Microsoft Teams.

For companies preferring to use Skype for Business instead of Teams as their PBX / Unified Communications desktop application, we’ve provided an overview below comparing the features and capabilities of Altigen’s Hosted Skype for Business Enterprise Plus edition to Skype for Business Online.

Instant Messaging

Real time presence improves communications resulting in increased productivity and customer service.

Desktop Sharing

Increases employee productivity with real-time collaboration, including application sharing and whiteboard capabilities.

Voice and Video

Conferencing is included with Hosted Skype for Business, eliminating the need for expensive outside conferencing services.

Integrated Mobility

Extends the capabilities of Skype for Business to mobile phones and tablets, improving employee productivity regardless of location.

SIP Trunk Service

Provides cost effective inbound and outbound (PTSN) calling, including toll free numbers, international calling and E911 support.

Office 365 Integration

Enables the capabilities of Skype for Business with any Office application, including presence and calendar synchronization,

Feature	Hosted Skype for Business	Skype for Business Online
IM & Presence, P2P Voice & Video, Desktop Sharing, Web Conferencing	Included	Included
PSTN Calling	Included	Requires separate Microsoft PBX license
PSTN Conferencing	Included	Requires separate Microsoft Conferencing license
Calling Plan	Altigen or customer supplied SIP trunks	Requires Microsoft Calling Plans
Workgroup Call Routing & Queuing	Altigen Advanced Call Routing & Queuing	Call Queues (limited functionality)
Contact Center	Altigen Omni-Channel Contact Center	Not available

Omni-Channel Contact Center for Skype for Business and Teams

A long time Microsoft Independent Software Vendor (ISV) partner, Altigen also offers an integrated Omni-Channel Contact Center solution for Skype for Business and Teams Phone System, which can be deployed in Azure, the Altigen Cloud or on in our customers’ datacenters.

Altigen FrontStage is a complete solution designed to manage customer interactions across all media channels - including Voice, Video, Chat, SMS, Email, Fax, Social Media. Real-time performance management, analytics, workforce management, and end-to-end reporting ensure that your contact center will operate at peak performance

Altigen FrontStage Omni-Channel Contact Center

FrontStage is a complete, all software solution delivered as a hosted managed service. The integrated media modules can be deployed “all at once” or individually – depending on customer requirements. All management views and reporting provides a complete 360 view of your omni-channel customer engagement metrics.

Solution Overview

With its modular design, Frontstage enables customers to deploy a complete omni-channel contact center solution on demand or simply choose individual applications on a per agent basis as those needs arise.

Frontstage

At the heart of the MaxInteract system is an integrated omni-channel routing and queuing engine, offering powerful routing rules with a single easy to manage administrative interface.

PBX Integration

Offering extensive PBX integration options, MaxInteract is available for Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams, Cisco, Avaya, Mitel, Unify and many other PBX platforms.

IVR

The Interactive Voice Response system provides menu driven Auto Attendant and the ability to create custom call flows including data directed routing, Text to Speech and Speech recognition.

Desktop Apps

The Agent and Supervisor desktop apps are built on an open Web RTC platform (.NET for Skype and Teams). Both are fully customizable and provide secure connectivity to the MaxInteract server.

Voice ACD

The Voice ACD module provides robust set of flexible of inbound call routing and queuing rules, including skills-based routing, priority customer routing and Call Back from Queue.

Web Chat

Web chat routing and queuing increases website visitor engagement with live chat capabilities and, once engaged, push web pages and share screens to further assist customers and increase conversions.

SMS

The SMS module extends the capabilities of chat routing and queuing to mobile users, routing inbound SMS messages to designated agents for quick responses and offers an automatic notification option.

Email Integration

For companies offering website visitors an email contact option, our Email routing and queuing application ensures those group emails are distributed to appropriate agents for timely response.

Fax Integration

Leveraging your Exchange environment, designated inbound faxes are delivered to agents in your choice of a blended or standalone fax queue based upon your unique routing and queuing requirements.

Social Media Integration

Enables the routing and queuing of messages on your social media pages, and detects keywords in social media “posts” with notification to your agents so they can quickly respond.

Call Recording

Records all calls, agent, work groups or DID calls, or a sampling of calls for compliance and customer service. The analytics module can further detect keywords and emotions for managerial review.

Quality Monitoring

Review and score agents based on objective parameters (ring duration, answer time, etc.) and subjective parameters (listen to and score conversations) in order to improve quality and performance.

Reporting Module

The Reports module, for both real-time and historical reports, includes all communications channels, supports both text and graphics, and offers scheduled distribution and exports to external systems.

Predictive Dialing

Providing Preview, Power and Predictive dialling, contact lists can be manually uploaded, or using our APIs, lists can be dynamically accessed in your internal databases or popular CRM systems.

Web-Based Administration

MaxInteract includes comprehensive web-based administration, providing system administrators with simple set up, configuration and management of agents, queues, work groups, trunks, system status.

Help Desk Application

The powerful Customer Ticketing / Help Desk application enabling quick ticket registration, status-based routing, prioritization, workflow management and ticket queuing with end to end reporting capabilities.

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