For organizations still running Lync Server 2013, the practical choice is whether to keep operating the on-premises deployment or plan a migration to Microsoft Teams. Skype for Business Online—the former cloud option—has been retired since 2021. Microsoft still documents a hybrid route from Lync Server 2013 to Teams, provided the deployment meets its prerequisites. Hybrid is a migration path, not a way to start a new Lync Online deployment.
What “take Lync to the cloud” means now
Older Microsoft materials described several Lync platform choices, including Lync Online with Office 365, hybrid Lync, on-premises Lync Server, and hosted Lync. Those are historical options, not evidence that Lync Online or hosted Lync is currently available. Microsoft says Skype for Business Online has been retired since 2021. The cloud destination in its current migration guidance is Teams.
Microsoft’s hybrid guidance draws an important distinction: “Although Skype for Business Online has been retired since 2021, the on-premises products Skype for Business Server 2019, Skype for Business Server 2015, and Lync Server 2013 are still supported.” That is a statement about the products’ support status, not a promise that every configuration or organizational need will remain supported indefinitely. Check Microsoft’s hybrid connectivity guidance for current topology and infrastructure conditions.
Compare keeping Lync Server with migrating to Teams
| Decision point | Keep Lync Server on-premises | Migrate through hybrid to Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Platform context | Continue operating the existing Lync Server deployment, subject to its support lifecycle and applicable requirements. | Teams is the destination for users moved from on-premises; Skype for Business Online is retired. |
| Preparation | Maintain the existing supported topology and server infrastructure. | Requires a supported topology and server build, plus a Microsoft 365 organization with Teams. Lync Server 2013 is listed as eligible subject to conditions. |
| Lync Server 2013 move readiness | No user move is required simply to keep operating the deployment. | Microsoft’s guidance lists CU10 with Hotfix 7, build 5.0.8308.1182, as the minimum for moving users between on-premises and cloud as of July 31, 2022. |
| User experience after a move | Users remain on the deployed on-premises Lync environment. | Moved users become TeamsOnly; Teams handles their chats, calls, and meetings. |
| End state | Keep operating the on-premises servers. | After migrating users, disable hybrid and decommission on-premises infrastructure when appropriate. |
The sources do not establish that either path is universally cheaper, more secure, faster, or more reliable. Those comparisons depend on your topology, voice integration, licensing, regulatory obligations, network, and support model.
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What a Lync Server 2013 move to Teams requires
Microsoft’s user-move guidance lists Lync Server 2013 CU10 with Hotfix 7 (build 5.0.8308.1182) as the minimum for moving users between on-premises and cloud, as of July 31, 2022. The same guidance describes assigning a Teams license and Skype for Business Online Plan 2 to users being moved online. Requirements can change; verify the current Microsoft documentation and tenant requirements before planning or executing a migration.
Hybrid connectivity is conditional, not automatic. Microsoft lists an all-Lync-2013 deployment as a supported server topology for hybrid connectivity with Teams, subject to infrastructure and topology requirements. Review the current hybrid planning documentation against your actual environment rather than assuming that the product name alone establishes eligibility.
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What changes for a user moved to Teams
A user moved from the on-premises deployment becomes TeamsOnly. Microsoft describes Teams as handling that user’s chats, calls, and meetings. Treat the change as a shift in the user’s communications service, not merely a server-location change: validate organizational workflows and dependencies before moving users.
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Microsoft’s guidance makes hybrid configuration a prerequisite to decommissioning the on-premises environment. Its upgrade sequence places disabling hybrid and decommissioning after cloud migration—not before users are moved.
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- Check eligibility and prerequisites. Confirm the deployed Lync Server topology, infrastructure, build, Microsoft 365 organization, Teams availability, and current licensing requirements against Microsoft’s hybrid planning guidance and user-move instructions.
- Configure hybrid connectivity. Establish the supported connection between the on-premises environment and Teams before decommissioning anything.
- Move users to Teams. Follow Microsoft’s supported move process, confirming the applicable requirements for each user and the intended TeamsOnly experience.
- Retire the on-premises environment only after migration. Use Microsoft’s decommissioning overview and upgrade sequence to determine when hybrid can be disabled and servers decommissioned.
Microsoft’s 2022 support and migration discussion provides additional context on Microsoft’s direction. Older design documents, such as Lync Server 2013 Reference Topologies, can help explain historical on-premises designs, but current implementation decisions should follow current Microsoft Learn guidance.
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How to make the decision
- Keep Lync Server for now if your existing deployment meets your current needs and you have a reason to continue operating it. Still plan against its product lifecycle and your organization’s requirements.
- Plan a Teams migration if your organization has chosen Teams as its communications destination and can meet the hybrid, software, tenant, and licensing prerequisites.
- Get specialist help if needed. Hybrid planning, user moves, and orderly decommissioning can involve environment-specific dependencies. An organization without the necessary in-house expertise may choose a qualified migration service; Microsoft’s documentation does not endorse a particular provider.
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