In the first half of 2015, the next version of Lync will become Skype for Business, according to Gurdeep Pall, corporate vice president for Skype in a blog post.
The revamped communications service will a new client experience, new server release and updates to the service in Office 365,
"We believe that Skype for Business will again transform the way people communicate by giving organizations reach to hundreds of millions of Skype users outside the walls of their business," wrote Pall.
Pall says Skype for Business takes advantage of the strengths of both Skype and Lync. For example, the business version is adopting the familiar Skype icons for calling, adding video and ending a call. Microsoft has also added the call monitor from Skype, which keeps an active call visible in a small window even when a user moves focus to another application.
At the same time, Skype for Business keeps the capabilities of Lync, including content sharing and telephony. For example, transferring a call now takes only one touch or click instead of three.
We’re also making it easier to connect to people everywhere. Lync already offers instant messaging and audio calling with Skype users. Skype for Business adds video calling and the Skype user directory making it possible to call any Skype user on any device.
Current Lync Server customers will be able to take advantage of these capabilities by updating from Lync Server 2013 to the new Skype for Business Server in their datacenters. No new hardware is required. "For Office 365 customers, it’s even simpler. We’ll do the required updates," says Pall.