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JJones
Inspiring
May 27, 2015
Answered

Connect or Skype for Business: A Comparison

  • May 27, 2015
  • 1 reply
  • 6474 views

I have been asked to evaluate the possibility of using Microsoft's new Skype For Business as a replacement for Adobe Connect. I've been using Connect for years but I've never used Skype, Lynk or this new amalgam that Microsoft is including in their O365 suite. Can anyone give me advice on how they compare and contrast? What are the advantages of Connect? What are the disadvantages of Skype for Business?

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Correct answer Jorma_at_Knox

It can be a hard comparison, and you likely won't find much out there. I would start with this, the Gartner Report for Critical Capabilities for Web Conferencing, where all the significant tools are compared. Critical Capabilities for Web Conferencing

From there, I would say (as a user of both Skype and Connect) here are where I see similarites and differences.

Similarites:

  • They both have chat function
  • They both can do VoIP audio
  • They both can screen share (except the Windows 8 App version of Skype cannot)
  • They both can be used to share files, though how they do it is different
  • They both can record sessions

Differences

  • Skype would require an install for every user (Skype must be installed to use it)
  • Connect doesn't require an install (only requires a web browser and Flash 11.2 or newer to be installed which 98+% of computers have installed)
  • Connect has more functions and the ability to build custom applications to run within a Connect meeting room
  • Skype is a good internal communitcations (IM) tool for businesses
  • Connect is a good web collaboration tool

I'm sure the list can grow, but ultimately my oppinon is that they are two applications that meet different business needs. For the last 8 years I have used both tools, but not found any time where I didn't know which tool would best fit my need. If I needed to have a quick chat or conversation with a colleague, I'd use Skype. If I needed to have an interactive session with someone, I'd use Connect. For webinars, I'd use Connect.

Just my $0.02

1 reply

Jorma_at_Knox
Jorma_at_KnoxCorrect answer
Legend
May 27, 2015

It can be a hard comparison, and you likely won't find much out there. I would start with this, the Gartner Report for Critical Capabilities for Web Conferencing, where all the significant tools are compared. Critical Capabilities for Web Conferencing

From there, I would say (as a user of both Skype and Connect) here are where I see similarites and differences.

Similarites:

  • They both have chat function
  • They both can do VoIP audio
  • They both can screen share (except the Windows 8 App version of Skype cannot)
  • They both can be used to share files, though how they do it is different
  • They both can record sessions

Differences

  • Skype would require an install for every user (Skype must be installed to use it)
  • Connect doesn't require an install (only requires a web browser and Flash 11.2 or newer to be installed which 98+% of computers have installed)
  • Connect has more functions and the ability to build custom applications to run within a Connect meeting room
  • Skype is a good internal communitcations (IM) tool for businesses
  • Connect is a good web collaboration tool

I'm sure the list can grow, but ultimately my oppinon is that they are two applications that meet different business needs. For the last 8 years I have used both tools, but not found any time where I didn't know which tool would best fit my need. If I needed to have a quick chat or conversation with a colleague, I'd use Skype. If I needed to have an interactive session with someone, I'd use Connect. For webinars, I'd use Connect.

Just my $0.02

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