What's new for Auto Attendants and Call Queues in July 2017?
Call Queue and Auto Attandant calls are now supported on Mac and Mobile endpoints! A user can be setup to make calls on behalf of a Call Queue or Auto Attendant, and support for 0365 Groups and enhancements in Speech Recognition and Text to Speech are now rolled out for Auto Attendants.OAuth 2.0 and third-party application ID: Timeline extended to June 30, 2022!
New implementation timeline: June 30, 2022 To provide our customers with best-in-class security across our services, Microsoft is implementing the use of Microsoft Identity Platform 2.0 (an evolution of the Azure Active Directory identity service) which uses the OAuth 2.0 authorization protocol. OAuth 2.0 is a method through which a third-party app can access web-hosted resources on behalf of a user, through a third-party application ID. This change only impacts Skype for Business IP Phones certified under 3PIP program. Deployment Type Impact Statement Skype for Business Online All phones must be updated and tenant admins must have approved phone partners App ID using the consent URL Skype for Business On-Premises Hybrid (With Modern Auth Deployed) All phones must be updated and tenant admins must have approved phone partners App ID using the consent URL Skype for Business On-Premises Hybrid (No Modern Auth) No Impact Skype for Business On-Premises No Hybrid No Impact As result of this change, Skype for Business IP Phone partners have made a code change to embed the partner specific application ID in their firmware. The customer tenant admin will be required to confirm consent to allow the third-party phone application to be granted the necessary permissions (the same permissions currently being used by Skype for Business IP Phones). Skype for Business IP Phone partners will provide customers with a partner specific consent URL. Customer admin will need to perform a one time, tenant wide (all users), consent per IP Phone partner (i.e. one consent URL for Yealink, one consent URL for Crestron, etc.) Microsoft IP Phone partners will post additional information via their own communication channels, including the firmware version that includes the necessary changes. This change requires customers to perform a 2 step process: Step 1: Accept permissions request using the consent URL (can be done at any time) Step 2: Upgrade all impacted phones to the firmware version communicated by the Microsoft IP Phone partners All certified Skype for Business IP phones must be updated by July 15th, 2020 (originally January 15th, 2020). Without the update, successful authentication to Microsoft services on IP Phones will fail. Specifically, signing to the device via web or using a user name/password on the phone will fail. Customers are encouraged to work with their certified Skype for Business IP Phone provider to make the update before the deadline.Skype for Business at Microsoft Build 2017
Microsoft Build 2017 is happening this week in Seattle. It’s an opportunity for Microsoft to host software engineers and developers across a myriad of Microsoft technologies, including Windows, Office, and foundational services such as cognitive services and work around artificial intelligence. As a part of Build, we continue to promote Skype for Business as a platform for communications solutions. We are building upon this with the announcement of the Bot Framework channel for Skype for Business developer preview, which enables developers to build bots that interact with enterprise users as well as create enterprise notifications. Channel 9 has a recorded session that provides an overview of the functionality available within the Bot Framework channel. The team presented a tech talk on the Office 365 Virtual Health Templates that were launched at HIMSS 2017. These new open-sourced virtual health templates extend Skype for Business as platform for developers, providing an accelerated proof-of-concept solution that provides developers and system integrators the opportunity to create new “Remote Advisor” scenarios. There is a breakout session on Thursday afternoon titled “Integrate presence, chat, audio, and video into customer apps with Skype for Business” that highlights ways in which developers can bring real-time communications to business apps and customer experiences (web and/or mobile applications) with Skype for Business utilizing our latest SDKs. The video will be available shortly after the session is completed. There are lots of ways in which you can develop with Skype for Business. Whether you are looking to build bots that interact with your end users, or integrate Remote Advisor solutions that connect your employees with your customers, Skype for Business is your communications platform that can make this happen. Check out Channel 9 for all of the recorded sessions as they happen at Build 2017.Attendant Console solution for Skype for Business Online now available!
For many enterprises, their first point of contact with customers is through their frontline operators and call attendants, who handle large volumes of inbound callers. Every second counts when trying to make a great impression, and the right attendant console makes all the difference in delivering a seamless customer experience. As more of our customers move their voice communication solutions to the cloud, they’ve asked for an attendant console that supports our cloud platform. With our recently announced org auto attendant and call queue features, we continue to enhance the value of our Cloud PBX offering, including the resources needed to enable partners to build tailored solutions for attendant consoles that work with Skype for Business Online. One of our first partners to market with an attendant console that supports Skype for Business Online is Enghouse Interactive. Utilizing the Skype for Business client SDK, org auto attendant, and call queue features, their TouchPoint Attendant solution natively integrates into Microsoft’s Skype for Business Online and Office 365. Please visit Enghouse Interactive to learn more about their TouchPoint Attendant product offering. The company is offering a free 30-day trial. To learn more about other partner solutions available for Skype for Business, please visit our Skype for Business apps catalog.
