Skype for Business Mac additional features

[Scott Owen]

Hi Guys,

Hoping someone at MS can answer the following questions about Skype for Business Mac (preview). 

1. When will conversation roll up be available? In the latest build conversations still show as individual items in the chats list (16.0.3619). 
2. When will we see 1 to 1 screen and application sharing? 
3. Tabbed conversations?  
4. Persistent chat? On the feedback website it's running at the third most requested feature however not "planned"
5. File sharing? Drag a file into the chat window. I think this is a basic IM feature 
6. Bounce dock icon, improve notifications 
7. Paste images
8. Add groups and filter contacts
9. Integrate with local/mac address book to enable click to call for third party contacts 

Look forward to hearing more.

Thanks.

Scott 

[#2]

I think Persistent Chat will never come, it's still for the Windows Client "Feature Frozen", so i expect there will be some new things as a replacement.

[#3]

Yeah you're most likely right! However personally I'd prefer to see it integrated into the client rather than being standalone...I'm really hoping there isn't a second client in the new solution (I'm assuming Skype Teams) and really really hoping it's not web browser only! 

I think a Skype Teams button down the left hand side would be cool. One client, one place to go to IM, Meet, Call, Video and chat to teams. 

[#4]

Hopefully there is in the near future a announcement for Skype Teams, our Dev Team is looking for Slack/HipChat as an Team Collaboration Tool

[#5]

1. We are looking at options currently
2. Shortly after GA
3. You can change between Single and Multi-Window
4. No plans for PChat
5. Post GA currently planned for the end of CY16
6. Future CU possibly
7. Post GA (no date available)
8. Post GA (no date available)
9. Not currently planned

[#6]

Change between single and multi chat window although available for some, not for all. Latest build from today still does not provide me with that option.

[#7]

Thanks @Richard T Schwendiman. 

Can you go into more detail on why there are no plans for persistent chat?

At my work place (and no doubt many others) we need this functionality to enable IT project teams to collaborate with business units to aid the software development lifecycle. Having different tools is an overhead and means communication becomes disjointed. At the moment we have multiple tools which makes life hard. 

Web based team solutions work okay, however in my opinion have deficiencies that are rarely overcome, mainly notifications been hidden in the background, which leads to people forgetting them and simply not using the tool.

We have a bunch of users requesting access to the SfB persistent chat rooms from a Mac. Would be awesome to tell them MS is solving this problem.

Thanks. 

[#8]

PChat is going away and will be replaced by Skype Teams is my guess.  I think we will learn more at the November 2nd Office Event.

[#9]

Certainly my guess as well, however I'm concerned it's going to be a separate application (or set of applications). I would like to see it integrated into the existing SfB clients.

Today we run SfB, Slack, Skype and a few other IM applications and it's often difficult to call or collaborate with a user from different parts of the business. 

My hope for Skype Teams is it would unify into a single product that supported, IM, Persistent Chat and Enterprise Voice. Maybe someone from MS can provide further information? 

Thanks.

[#10]

The new Skype for Business on Mac client has been released today.  We've posted about it in the blog, here:

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Full-Circle-Product-Updates/Skype-for-Business-on-Mac-is-now-...

Thanks!

[#11]

Presistent Chat for Mac Client can be up voted here: https://www.skypefeedback.com/forums/299913-generally-available/suggestions/13329468-persistent-chat...

[#12]

Give up hope that Persistent Chat will ever come to the Mac Client. Server2019 won't have this feature either..

[#13]

So my organization utilizes the persistent chat feature a lot to facilitate quick, interteam communications without using email. Those of us with Mac's are left out of the loop. This certainly needs to be addressed, and not by "well, it's just not coming." That does not seem very productive.

[#14]

Don't ever expect that to happen, Microsoft has clearly announced that Teams is the future.  The Teams client on Mac and Windows are identical and both fantastic.