Microsoft Corp. has finally seen sense and realized that it’s a bit confusing having two instant messaging/VoIP programs on the go at once. Hence, it’s decided to kill off the least popular version, Microsoft Lync, and replaced it with a new program called “Skype for Business”.

Lync is a popular tool with the enterprise thanks to its range of instant messaging, voice, video, and conferencing features. Microsoft says the rebranding will happen sometime “in the first half of 2015”, and will introduce a new client experience and server release.

The good news is Skype for Business will retain Lync’s infrastructure, which means retaining the ability to run it on on-premises servers, with optional federation with external communications networks and so on – however the branding and design will change to look a lot more like the regular Skype.

Skype for Business will use those familiar Skype icons for calling, adding videos and so on. But besides looking like Skype, it will retain all of the capabilities found in Lync, such as telephony and content sharing. If anything, the experience should be better – for example, Microsoft says it now only takes one click to transfer a call instead of the three clicks with link. In other words, it’s Skype with all of Lync’s enterprise compliance, control and security features tacked on top.

“We’re really excited about how Skype for Business takes advantage of the strengths of both Skype and Lync,” enthused Microsoft’s Gurdeep Pall in a blog post.

Skype currently counts around 300 million users, while Lync is used by thousands of enterprise customers. Added together, it means Skype won’t be too far off the 500 million monthly users of Facebook’s Messenger app.

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