Microsoft has now cleared more than a dozen models for sale from the same four hardware vendors that produced Skype phones. The first phones certified to work with Teams hit the market in early 2019. Microsoft is expected to support that product, which is separate from Skype for Business Online, through at least 2025. The Skype phones - known as third-party IP devices, or 3PIP devices - will continue to work with on-premises deployments of Skype for Business.

Businesses typically plan to replace phones every five years, but some organizations may allow phones to remain in use for seven to 10 years, he said. 'Some big companies with thousands of seats use Skype for Business Online as their phone system, so there are certainly lots of these phones,' Arbuthnot said. The severity of the impact will depend on how long businesses budgeted for the Skype devices to last, said Tom Arbuthnot, principal solutions architect at Modality Systems, a Microsoft-focused systems integrator. Microsoft's decree will be more burdensome on some companies than on others. Many organizations may choose to upgrade to Teams devices sooner because Skype phones provide only basic calling features when linked to Teams through the gateway. Microsoft has certified more than 30 Skype phones from hardware partners Poly, Crestron, Yealink and AudioCodes.īusinesses will need to buy new phones by the deadline if they want physical handsets that work with Teams. Until the end of July 2023, Microsoft will leave in place a gateway connecting Skype phones to Teams. Desk phones certified for Skype will continue to work with Teams for an additional two years, the company said. This week's announcement stems from Microsoft's earlier decision to shut down Skype for Business Online - a cloud version of the Skype app included with commercial Office 365 subscriptions - on July 31, 2021.

Skype for business phones