Skype for Business on Mac - February Update now available!
Published Feb 07 2017 08:55 AM 19K Views
Microsoft

The third update for the Skype for Business on Mac is now available. This release includes the following:

 

-          Peer-to-Peer desktop sharing

-          Additional USB Device Support 

-          Several other improvements for the client

 

Desktop sharing in P2P Conversations. In our last update, we introduced the capability to share during an audio conversation and promised that we would add sharing for IM/Chat sessions as well.  With this release, we now have included that support, so you can now share during a P2P session for audio and IM.  We hope you find it useful. Please take the time to let us know what scenarios we have enabled for you. Is this for helpdesk? Does it make collaboration frictionless when you can quickly share your screen? Perhaps other scenarios? Let us know.

 

Additional USB Device Support. As we get feedback and combine that with telemetry from the client, we note there are some USB devices that are not performing as expected. With this update, we have certified 5 devices and will continue to add devices going forward. That list includes the Polycom CX300, Jabra Speak 510, Jabra Evolve 65, Plantronics Blackwire C520-M and the Logitech Webcam C930e.

 

Further Improvements.  We are always excited to share what we have added to the client but equally important is the work for existing experiences. Here are just a few of the improvements we have added. As always, consult the release notes included with this update to get further details.

 

Customers report duplicate contacts during search. This was related to caching. With this update, impacted customers should take the action to logout out and delete their sign-in information. Sign back in and let us know if that has solved the issue.

 

Customers have reported that CPU usage was high during screen sharing. Work has been done and the addition of VBSS viewing should help there. We also expect to add VBSS sharing in a future update which will continue to improve performance.

 

In certain scenarios, customers reported issues with call transfer. We have updated this experience to hopefully remove those issues. Please try this out and let us know via the forums if it’s working better for you.

 

For a complete list of improvements to the client, please be sure to read the release notes that come with this update. New Mac customers can download now. Those who already have the client can use the Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU) to get the latest.

 

-          Paul Cannon, Skype for Business Product Marketing Manager

21 Comments
Copper Contributor

Please, can we have a roadmap for when P2P file transfers will work for the Mac client?

Copper Contributor

The single factor holding us back from implementing SfB in our environment at this point is the inability to transfer files/screen captures - I simply can't get any buy-in from the userbase to get off the public Skype client without this functionality.

Copper Contributor

Two things I want/need from the Mac version of this client.

 

1.)  Voicemail playback.  I can see that I have a voicemail, but I can't play it within the client.

 

2.)  Conversation grouping.  I would love the option to keep all the conversations from one person in one single history, instead of seeing them throughout my Chat list.

Microsoft

@tom londy - thanks for that feedback. I wil make sure it gets to our request triage team.

 

@Trevor Bennett, @Robin Frousheger - Seriously good ask. I would say that File Transfers during a P2P session is our #2 most requested feature - only P2P desktop sharing had more requests.  And now with P2p sharing available, it is now #1. Its looking very likely for early Q2. We have a stretch goal to get that into March if possible. Stay tuned to this Technical Community and our blogs when we announce the March update... in March Smiley Very Happy

Microsoft

@tom londy

 

Follow on here - I can see the voicemail and play it from a 16.2 client so we have had this feature in place. It shows in the call tab. I t does reply upon Exchange being your unifeid messaging store as you also should see an email in your inbox with the voice recording attached (which honestly is how I usually get my voicemail).

 

Can you double check if this works for you? If not, are you using a different backend for voicemail, etc.?

Copper Contributor

@Paul Cannon

 

We have Exchange set up for unified messaging.  It works on the Windows SfB client.  I can see that I have voicemails, but the play button i greyed out and if I right click on it there aren't any options for playback.

Copper Contributor

Hello,

 

It's great to see progress on the OSx client. One of my senior staff is using this and I keep getting asked when P2P Video will be working as every video meeting has to be a scheduled event to use this function.

 

Also we have found some issues with the iOS edition showing our confrence room video and shared content. Would there be a good place to raise these as something to be looked into. 

 

Thank you!

 

Craig

 

Microsoft

@tom londy - ok, thanks for that update. So, the feature is present, is available, and does work in my environment. You have run into a bug - reccomend you or your IT Pro folks file a bug.

Microsoft

@Craig Legary thanks for the kind words for our client. We try to give the happy stuff as well to the team working on it. :)

 

Just tried this with the 16.2 client (December) and I am able to show my video so not sure what he is running into. If he literally cannot show his video and you have eliminated a HW issue, this is definitely a bug that should be reported via support.

 

Recommend you start a thread about the iOS video issues you are seeing here if you want to discuss. If you are sure its a bug, definitely open this as well. Feel free @mention me if you decide to start a thread here. Be sure to let us know the versions and backend topolgy you have (Office 365 / SFB Server 2015 / Lync 2013 Server). Check your patch levels for the on-premises servers as well.

Copper Contributor

Sharing desktop in a SFB meeting was not working in latest client.  It was a meeting > 10 people.  Everyone in the windows SFB could see the shared PPT deck but all the Mac users on latest release of SFB were not able to.  

Copper Contributor

Still looking for stability around the missed conversation notifications, I randomly get missed conversations while I am in fact ready the IM seconds after it was sent.

 

Copper Contributor

Very much wish we could paste rich content into messaging, like images (clipboard).  This is an OFTEN requested feature with our users.  

 

Like Diego, I frequently get emails of missed conversations even though I am actively conversing and see the conversations.

Brass Contributor

Any news on Single Window Interface (ie - tabbed conversations) independent of IM archiving policy?

 

That and also experiencing some random missed conversation issues...

Copper Contributor

Hi, is it still not possible for Skype for business mac users to use Skype outside the organisation with (consumer)Skype users ? 

Copper Contributor

Adding consumer skype users on the Mac version is also a requirement for us before we can roll out Skyp for business in our organisation.

Copper Contributor

You can use Mac Skype for Business with consumer skype. Ask the consumer user to search for the corporate user, then IM them. The corporate user must accepted the IM/Invitation and aftet that they can call each other.

 

 

Copper Contributor

Hi Mathew,


I agree and this is what are users are currently doing, or you can add them on a windows machine and they will show up on the mac client.  But these are workarounds that should not be needed, the feature most be added to the mac client.

Steel Contributor

@Paul Cannon Any particular reason why the SfB mac client continues to use the term "Online Meetings" with a corresponding button instead of "Skype Meetings", and creates meeting invites with the same language?  Why can't we have a common experience across platforms?   PC and OWA use Skype, this client uses Online..really?

Copper Contributor

I agree, but I think there is still a large user base of Lync users out there as the SfB Mac client is considered by some still not upto to the job, but this samll change would help push people more towads SfB, just need to keep fixing those bugs and adding features.

 

 

Copper Contributor

Is there anyway of viewing a list of 'in development' features. I know the Office insider program offers early releases but that is after they have been developed. We are currently holding on a 100+ seat enterprise voice MAC rollout to complete our company wide Skype4B EV implementation. One of our current issues is the lack of a secondary ringer (important when it's your main phone line). It would be useful to know if features (such as this) are in the development pipeline or simply not being considered. Due to this specific limitation we are now considering handsets too.


 

Copper Contributor

Hi Mark,

 

Secondary ringer is in the 16.5.xxx insider fast preview build. Note sure when this will be a stable release though, the March updated got axed so hopefully an April update will have it in.

 

Have a look here for the Office inisder builds features

https://support.office.com/en-GB/article/Office-Insider-releases-for-Skype-for-Business-on-Mac-7f190...

 

Also search on here for Mac

https://products.office.com/en-us/business/office-365-roadmap

 

 

 

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