Microsoft‘s Server offerings are regularly used by enterprise customers to bolster their communication infrastructure. Its origins date back to 2003 when the company launched its Microsoft Office Live Communications Server. Since then, it has seen several avatars and iterations, becoming generally available as Microsoft Lync Server in 2010, and eventually morphing into Skype for Business Server in 2015.
As this short history suggests, Microsoft has remained consistently committed to the Server business under SfB, even as it confirms its plans to retire SfB Online on July 3rd, 2021. Reactions to this announcement were mixed, and it was made clear that Skype for Business Server customers would in no way be impacted.
Now, following on the heels of Microsoft Ignite 2020, the company revealed crucial details on the next version of Skype for Business Server.
What is Skype for Business Server 2022 All About?
To be clear, the SfB 2022 nomenclature isn’t set in stone. Towards the end of a session on SfB in general, Microsoft’s senior program managers Lisa McKee and László Somi mentioned an upcoming version called “vNext.” But given its previous naming patterns, SfB 2022 makes perfect sense.
Skype for Business Server provides the local infrastructure needed for common communication channels including instant messaging, VoIP, conferences, and PSTN. for anyone looking to deploy on-premise, SfB Server was always a popular choice. Skype for Business Server 2019 introduced several notable upgrades like a better Mac client, more seamless interoperability with Teams, and stronger security.
Now that a next version is on the cards (scheduled for the second half of 2021), we expect similar improvements.
Microsoft is Going All Out with SaaS
One major headline that took us all by surprise was the subscription-only model for the new SfB server. Microsoft has said that it’ll support “in-place upgrade” for two years post-release. Using this feature, Microsoft administrators can upgrade their existing infrastructure to a subscription-based codebase at minimal efforts. Effectively, it means that you won’t need to add or change any servers.
How Do You Migrate to the New SfB Server?
The current Skype for Business Server 2019 will receive mainstream support till January 9th, 2024, and extended support till October 14th, 2025 — giving you plenty of time to migrate. And the subscription-only model will make migration easier, regardless of its other challenges/limitations.
The number of coexisting Server versions is also going to increase, says Microsoft. You could install SfB Server vNext/2022 on your systems, sitting side by side SfB Server 2015, Lync Server 2013, etc. The company also recommends that you move to SfB Server 2019 at the earliest, if you haven’t done so already — calling it:
“the last major upgrade [you] will ever need to do”
Once SfB Server 2019 is in place, the in-place upgrade feature would probably take over, transforming your codebase automatically.
Why We’re Excited
The subscription model is sure to cut down admin efforts. It will also make it easier for Microsoft to come out with more frequent SfB Server releases, more in-sync with its larger SaaS philosophy. This is a welcome (if surprising) move in the right direction — watch this space as the company reveals more.
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