Can I use Open with Skype directly?

Not as a long-term solution. Skype Consumer is being retired and Skype for Business has been replaced by Microsoft Teams. The right path is to use Teams Phone.

I’m on Skype for Business Online — what should I do?

You have likely already been migrated to Teams. Use the Microsoft Teams provider page to wire up Open.

I’m on Skype for Business Server on-prem — what should I do?

Plan a migration to Teams Phone (Direct Routing if you want to keep your existing carriers, Calling Plans or Operator Connect if you want Microsoft to handle PSTN). Then follow the Teams provider page.

Can the AI temporarily live behind my SfB Server while I migrate?

Yes — Open can sit behind the SBC your SfB deployment uses for PSTN. We treat this as a transitional setup; the long-term home is Teams.

Will my Skype/SfB numbers carry over?

Numbers from BYOC SfB deployments carry over to Teams Phone via Direct Routing without porting.

Does Open support SIP/TLS and SRTP?

Yes — both signaling encryption (TLS) and media encryption (SRTP) are supported.

How long does the migration usually take?

It depends on tenant size and number complexity. Small/mid tenants typically migrate in days; large with significant routing complexity can take weeks.

Microsoft keeps invoicing your Microsoft 365 / Teams Phone licensing. Open charges per resolved conversation.

Legacy / Enterprise

Open for Skype

Skype and Skype for Business are being retired by Microsoft. For an AI phone agent, the modern path is Microsoft Teams Phone — Open plugs into Teams via Direct Routing or Operator Connect.

Try now

Setup time: Migration-dependent
Auth: Direct Routing SBC pairing (post-migration)
Directions: Inbound · Outbound · Call transfer
Pricing: Included with Open

01 — Overview

Can I run an AI phone agent on Skype?

Not directly. Microsoft is retiring Skype and Skype for Business in favor of Teams. The right call for AI phone agents is to consolidate onto Teams Phone first; Open plugs into Teams via Direct Routing or Operator Connect.

Skype Consumer is being retired by Microsoft and Skype for Business has been fully replaced by Microsoft Teams (Skype for Business Online ended in 2021; on-premises Skype for Business Server is in extended support). Practically, that means there is no longer a long-term path to attach an AI phone agent to Skype directly — and even where it's technically possible on a legacy SfB Server install, the calling stack is well past end-of-life from a security and feature standpoint.

If you're on Skype for Business Online, you've already been migrated to Teams or are scheduled to be. If you're on Skype for Business Server on-prem, the modern path is to migrate to Teams Phone, then pair Open via Direct Routing using a certified SBC.

Once on Teams Phone, the integration is the same as any other Teams customer: Open is added as a SIP destination behind your Direct Routing SBC, or as a destination behind an Operator Connect trunk. Auto Attendants and Call Queues route opted-in calls to Open, the AI handles the conversation, and SIP REFER takes care of escalations back to your Teams users.

If you absolutely need to keep Skype for Business Server running for the time being, Open can still join via the SBC the SfB deployment uses for PSTN — just expect that to be a transitional setup, not a long-term one. Plan the Teams migration alongside the AI rollout.

What stays the same on Skype

Existing Microsoft 365 tenant
Identities, licensing, and Microsoft 365 Graph stay where they are.
Existing carrier numbers
BYOC numbers carry over to Teams Phone via Direct Routing.
SBC investment (if any)
A certified SBC used for Skype for Business can usually be repointed at Teams Phone Direct Routing.
Microsoft 365 productivity
Mail, calendar, SharePoint, OneDrive all unchanged.

What's new with Open

Migrate calling to Teams Phone
Skype as a calling platform is end-of-life; Teams is the modern target.
Add Open behind your SBC
On Teams Direct Routing, Open is a SIP destination paired through your SBC.
AI handles opted-in branches
Auto Attendants and Call Queues you opt-in to AI route to Open.
Pricing model
Open per resolved conversation. Microsoft keeps invoicing licensing and Calling Plans.

02 — Why this works

The native Skype experience

Honest answer about Skype
Skype isn't a long-term home for AI phone agents — Teams Phone is the modern Microsoft path.
Migration plays nicely with AI rollout
Move calling to Teams once and you've also unlocked AI on every queue and Auto Attendant.
No new Microsoft licenses for AI
AI is a SIP destination, not a Teams user — your license count doesn't change.
Direct Routing or Operator Connect
Both Teams paths supported once you migrate.

03 — Setup guide

Wire up Skype in migration-dependent

Two trunks — one inbound, one outbound. Both configurable from Settings → SIP in the Open dashboard.

1
Confirm your Microsoft path
Skype for Business Online users have already been migrated to Teams. Skype for Business Server on-prem users should plan a Teams migration.
2
Move calling to Teams Phone
Choose Calling Plans, Direct Routing, or Operator Connect for the Teams Phone deployment.
3
See the Teams provider page
Once on Teams Phone, follow the Microsoft Teams Open setup guide. The Skype-specific content ends here.

05 — Security

Encrypted, audited, refundable

SIP over TLS for signaling, SRTP for media. Every call is logged with full reasoning traces. SOC 2 Type II, GDPR-aligned, HIPAA- and PCI-ready. Backed by the Open $2M Refund Guarantee.

06 — FAQ