Microsoft has announced the preview of Skype for Business apps for Android and iOS. The company states that the preview apps include a new dashboard for easy navigation of your contacts, calls and meetings, and updated the In-Call and In-Meeting experience.
Skype Meeting Broadcast
Skype Meeting Broadcast enables organizations to broadcast a Skype for Business meeting on the Internet to up to 10,000 people, who can attend from a browser on nearly any device. Meeting broadcast makes it easy to host large virtual meetings like internal “Town Hall†style meetings and public webinars. The preview includes integration with Bing Pulse, for real-time polling and sentiment tracking, and Yammer, to enable attendee dialogue during the broadcast.
PSTN Conferencing (U.S. Only)
PSTN Conferencing will be available in preview to Office 365 customers in the U.S. PSTN Conferencing allows people invited to a Skype for Business meeting in Office 365 to join the meeting by dialing-in using a landline or mobile phone. This traditional dial-in capability is in addition to simple, single touch join options on PC, smartphone and browser, and allows people to join an online meeting even in places with no Internet access. PSTN conferencing in Office 365 will also allow people to add others to a meeting by dialing-out.
Cloud PBX with PSTN Calling (U.S. Only)
Cloud PBX with PSTN Calling gives Office 365 customers in the U.S. the ability to make and receive traditional phone calls directly from their Skype for Business client, and to manage these calls with features like hold, resume, forward and transfer. This preview is built on the already proven enterprise voice technology available in Lync Server and Skype for Business Server. In the fall, we will ship Cloud PBX for customers worldwide, with a configuration option for customers to use existing on-premises phone lines for inbound and outbound calling.
Skype for Business iOS/Android Preview
Here are some other features for Skype for Busines preview apps for Android and iOS:
- Contact search barâ€â€Search your Global Address List by first name, last name, email alias or even a phone number! On iOS, your phone contacts are also included in the search.
- Upcoming appointmentsâ€â€Here you can see your current and next meetings in your calendar. You can either click through to read more about the meeting or click the Quick Join icon to join the meeting right away.
- Recent conversationsâ€â€Makes it easy to refer back to your most recent chats, phone calls and meetings.
To join the preview:
If you have Lync 2013 on your iOS or Android device, you’ll get the new Skype for Business app as an update later this year. Skype for Business mobile apps work for anyone on Lync Server 2013, Skype for Business Server 2015 and Skype for Business Online.
To participate in the preview, IT administrators can visit skypepreview.com to nominate up to four end users for iOS and four for Android to participate in the preview.
Please apply by Friday, August 14, 2015 to be considered in our first batch of participants. We will begin notifying IT admins via email of their acceptance starting the week of August 17, 2015.
If you’re not able to join the preview, Microsoft says the new Skype for Business app will be available as an update for the Lync 2013 app on your iOS and Android device later this year.
A Windows Phone app for Skype for Business is already available here.
