Skype for Business on Mac is now Available!
Great News! On October 27, 2016, Microsoft made the all new Skype for Business on Mac client generally available for download. I've posted a blog with more information in our Product Updates - have a look! https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Full-Circle-Product-Updates/Skype-for-Business-on-Mac-is-now-Generally-Available/ba-p/25147
Skype Room Systems v2 - first impressions
So we just installed a Skype Room Systems v2 (Logitech Group) in our largest conference room. Here are our first impressions when it comes to the software. We have Exchange 2016 on-premise and SfB Online in O365. There's one issue with dialing a number when you don't have PSTN Calling in your region. Maybe this is by design or maybe I just got it wrong (here's my discussion on that) You should disable the Surface Pro 4 built-in front and rear camera because otherwise when you choose to start the video, you have three cameras to choose from. It's not mentioned in the Deployment Guide but we figured it out they are in the Device Manager -> System Devices. Speaking of this, you shouldn't need to choose a camera at all if there's only one (1) camera - just default to that camera. We have a huge 100"+ projector screen in this conference room and when a single attendent call in with video, that person gets a full screen with their huge face. I don't know how we would technically solve this (I guess 2 * 55" is a better setup) but it feels like Big Brother ;). If a presenter in the room connects their laptop via HDMI and start something with a video (like Youtube) the sound outputs into the conference room and the sound is only catched up by the rooms speaker's which gives quite bad results. It should be able to get the sound from the HDMI input but then again, the deployment guide clearly states that "Audio playback over HDMI can only be heard locally" so maybe it's some technical reason why this is not possible. The DIY setup might be a little bit overly complicated selecting the correct inputs/outputs etc. Since the SRS application only works on "certified" versions, it should be possible for Microsoft to automate this and verify the settings remain the same after updates etc. But they have mentioned automated deployment scripts are coming. The dock (Surface Pro 4) screen is quite sensitive to fat fingerprints so after a while you need to clean it but maybe someone has some magical solution for that :) I hope the OMS management/monitoring solution will be available soon so we effectively can monitor the SRS so we can be proactive because users in general don't create a support ticket for conference room systems, they just give up :) Then there are some minor Logitech hardware first impressions but that's not related to Microsoft.Enhancing Skype for Business Online Meetings for external participants
We heard you that joining online meetings for external participants was too complicated. We have worked hard to make improvements to this process, I am happy to share details on these improvements that will be live for all our Office 365 customers middle of April 2017: Simplified meeting join experience with single-click join experience for Internet Explorer Join audio conference via PSTN call back Always fresh client Optimized screen real-estate for content sharing and collaboration. This new experience has been released to our on-premises customers with the May 2017 update for Skype for Business Server 2015. See this article to learn how to enable this in your on-premises deployment. Let’s walk through a scenario to cover the entire meeting join experience and improvements end-to-end. Remember Garth from our training on Tenant Dial Plans? Garth is with Contoso, and he is scheduling a Skype meeting with his customer Alice. Garth schedules the meeting in his Outlook client and adds the Skype Meeting into the invite, and Alice accepts the meeting invite. However, Garth is now is wondering how Alice can join his meeting. Does Alice have Skype for Business? If not, how would she be able to join the meeting Can Alice download and install the Skype Web App on her PC? Does she have local administrator rights on her machine to do so? What about a headset, how will Alice be able to join with Audio into the Skype Meeting? Garth is wondering if is there a need to tell Alice what she needs to do to join the meeting? Let’s see what happens. Alice does not have Skype for Business installed on her PC, nor does she have local Administrative Rights on her machine. Alice clicks the Join Skype Meeting link in the invite and installs the Skype Web App. The installation requires no administrative rights on her machine and completes after a few seconds. After the installation, she clicks the Join the meeting button. The new Skype Web App starts, she enters her name, and is connected to the meeting. Garth already shared a PowerPoint deck, the Web App automatically selects the best layout for the shared content and they can start the meeting. The Skype Web App UI is optimized for screen real-estate for content sharing and collaboration. A yellow notification told her that she is using Skype for Business Audio and Video. She can also either dial-in or choose to use the call-me back function. This is useful in scenarios where external participants don't have an audio device like a headset available. Note: call-me back requires AllowAnonymousUsersToDialOut to be enabled by the IT Admin in the conferencing policy of the meeting organizer. The new Skype for Business Web App has several additional improvements: Experience a faster, reliable, and more efficient screen-sharing experience The new Web App supports video based screen sharing (VBSS) improving the overall user experience in the sharing session. Disabled controls Controls to share content are disabled for attendees. Once promoted to presenter, these controls will light up and they can start to share the screen or other content using the Skype for Business Web App. Save Settings When exiting the meeting, the Skype for Business Web App will ask to save the current settings like the display name and preferred audio join method (IP audio, dial-in or call-me when available) for the next meeting. Sign-In with Office 365 Account Instead of joining as a guest, you can also sign-in as an authenticated user using your Office 365 Account. Always Fresh Client The Web App will check for newer version when joining a meeting. If an update is available, it downloads in the background, and you will join the meeting. After the meeting has ended the Skype for Business Web App will update itself. Newer versions of the Web App are backward-compatible with earlier versions of the Web App, e.g., you don’t have to install an older version if you join a meeting that is hosted in an on-premises environment. Rate your meeting quality and help us improve A brief survey will be presented to users joining from a Windows computer through the new Skype for Business Web App experience; while you will not be able to access this data, Microsoft will use it to improve the experience further. Garth is happy again, Alice could join the meeting right away even as this was her very first meeting with Skype for Business.Skype for Business Video Broadcast - September 23, 2016 @ PT- Behind the scenes and Ignite Update
Join our Broadcast - 1 st Anniversary Broadcast Join the Skype for Business team for our 29 th broadcast which marks a full year since the series began. We will be doing a brief preview of what to expect from the upcoming Ignite 2016 technology conference, and will be sharing some Skype for Business Meeting Broadcast best practices that we’ve gleaned over the course of our first year. Join the Skype Meeting Broadcast, Friday, September 23, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. PST. Speakers: Sean Wilson and Jamie StarkThree things to consider when bringing your existing VTC into a modern meeting
Eddie Clifton, Pexip VP of Strategic Partnerships, is guest posting to the Skype for Business blog this month to discuss what to consider when bringing legacy video teleconferencing (VTC) end-points into Skype meetings. In addition to guest blogging this week, I am also joining @Delanda Coleman live on the http://aka.ms/sfbcast on Friday, August 18th at 9:00 AM PDT. In this broadcast, we cover the 3 ways to bring your existing VTC into a modern meeting. The challenge of managing a mixed environment of hardware and software that may not provide a fully integrated meeting experience to users is a common scenario. In the case of legacy video teleconferencing (VTC) systems, a well-thought-out video interoperability solution will need to be considered. As the digital transformation continues to change how we all do business, interoperability issues can come up as companies work their way through the life of existing investments in traditional and legacy video teleconferencing (VTC) solutions. Depending upon the size of the company, these investments can run into the millions of dollars. Often, these legacy systems experience less use, or are used only by a select group of executives within the organization. The challenge is to streamline organization workflows so that both Skype for Business and traditional VTC users can easily meet across technology barriers. With a well-thought-out strategy in place, organizations can democratize video for everyone, not just a few executives with their costly VTC suites and systems. With Pexip’s recently certified for Skype for Business gateway, Pexip Infinity Fusion, we offer a video interoperability solution that can scale to the largest organizations, allowing VTC users to seamlessly join Skype calls, all while retaining the user experience of each participant. If you are looking at interoperability solutions that allow existing VTCs to join modern meetings, there are three fundamental concepts to consider: Interoperability: More than just audio and video Anyone should be able to join Skype meetings and benefit from the Skype experience. With a certified gateway, VTC users can take part in Skype calls without even knowing it. Behind the scenes, there is more magic to interoperability than just translating video and audio. A fundamental question to ask is: Can the VTC user see the content that was uploaded to the meeting and can the VTC user easily share a presentation back to the meeting? Scale: Does it work for your large organization? Scale is not just about how many people and VTC participants you can allow into a single meeting. It is also about how it works for your organization. How many VTCs can you have in that single meeting and how many such meetings can you have at the same time? Along with scalability, there should be a way to manage the solution from an IT professional’s point of view? User experience: For the user – and the administrator The user experience is key to technology adoption. If it is too difficult or unfamiliar, you risk it not being used at all. In the case of interoperability, any solution should allow both the Skype for Business user and the VTC user to retain a familiar meeting and call experience. Joining scheduled meetings, making direct point-to-point calls, or escalating meetings by adding participants should all look familiar to the user. But there is more to it. From an administrator’s point of view, the solution itself should also make it easy to plan, deliver, and operate. If you would like to learn more about how to extend the Skype for Business experience to everyone in your organization with Pexip Infinity Fusion, please join me and @Delanda as we discuss this in details and take your questions during our live Skype Broadcast on August 18th 9:00 AM PDT. Join us at http://aka.ms/sfbcast.
