Legal Hangups Making Skype for Business a Gamble?

At least one analyst is warning those considering using Skype for Business to hold off a while.

Irwin Lazaar of Nemertes Research likes Skype’s business offering as an inexpensive way to make long-distance calls, but is concerned about the company’s future due to legal issues.

The founders of Skype are trying to buy the VoIP company back from eBay. But the lawsuits they’ve filed, says Lazaar, might jeopardize use of code that is still owned by the founders. Without the code, there could be a significant disruption that would make life difficult for customers of Skype for Business, he says.

Skype for Business is still being tested. Nearly 10,000 businesses have signed up for it since being announced three months ago. If things go off without a hitch, those companies can save a lot of money, especially on their incoming 800-number calls. Anyone with a Skype phone or Skype client can call a business for free.