That's how to connect Lync and Skype users if businesses own Lync Servers. The instructions mentioned above will tell whether those configurations suffice. Lync Servers set up to connect to Microsoft's Windows Messenger using public instant messaging connectivity may have been configured in a way that also supports Skype, Microsoft says. In some cases businesses may already have their Lync Servers provisioned to support Skype connectivity.

It's not complicated to request public instant messaging connectivity, but waiting for the back-end account to activate takes up to 30 days, Microsoft says.Īll the request requires is going to this website to download the provisioning guide and following a few straightforward instructions. Existing stand-alone Skype accounts can be merged into Microsoft accounts. Skype users can add Lync users to their contacts and Lync users can add Skype contacts from their Microsoft Account, the same account used for signing in to SkyDrive,, Windows Phone and Xbox Live. Once the two platforms are connected, though, users of both can receive each other's presence information and communicate via instant messaging and audio calls. That's because it can take 30 days to activate accounts necessary to support a back-end service called public instant messaging connectivity, which is necessary for Skype and Lync Server to work together.

Businesses hoping to connect Skype users with Lync users via their corporate Lync Server but haven't started the process yet are in for a wait.

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