Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cloud
    • Cloud

    Microsoft Releases Skype for Business Mac Client

    By
    Pedro Hernandez
    -
    October 28, 2016
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      Microsoft Skype for Business

      Businesses clinging to Lync for Mac 2011 can finally start letting go.

      Today, Microsoft released the official Skype for Business Mac client, allowing customers to fully transition their users to the new software. Windows users got a native client last year during Office 2016 launch. This year, the company released preview versions for the Mac, but Microsoft recommended that users hang on to their copies of Lync for Mac 2011 if they intended to make full use of the enterprise communications platform’s voice calling and messaging capabilities.

      “The Mac client offers edge-to-edge video and full immersive content sharing and viewing,” wrote Microsoft staffers Paul Cannon and Praveen Maloo in a blog post. “The result is a great first class experience for Mac users.”

      On the mobile front, both the Android and iOS apps gain the ability to conduct PowerPoint presentations during Skype meetings directly within the app. Users can simply select a PowerPoint file from a cloud location (and/or onboard storage on Android) and use swipe gestures to advance through the deck. Presentations shared in this manner also appear as PowerPoint files in a meeting content bin.

      Skype for Business on Android and iOS also now supports Video-based Screen Sharing (VbSS) technology, a less resource-intensive method of streaming video content. “The initial setup is much faster, the experience more reliable, while also consuming network bandwidth efficiently. It provides a seamless viewing experience, especially if you are sharing animated content such as CAD models,” added Cannon and Maloo.

      In a preview of what’s to come, the pair also said that Microsoft is working on CallKit integration for Skype for Business on iOS. Already enabled in the consumer Skype app, CallKit support allows Skype calls to show up like regular calls on the iPhone. CallKit is one of several new updates released by Apple for iOS 10, just ahead of the iPhone 7’s launch last month.

      Microsoft also previewed some upcoming changes to the consumer Skype mobile apps for iOS and Android.

      For instance, the Call Phones tab is being simply relabeled Calls. From there, users get one-tap access to all Skype calling types (voice, video and traditional landline and cellular phones). Group calls will now continue uninterrupted when the person who starts the call leaves, allowing discussions to continue more smoothly as participants drop in and out of calls.

      Noticing a decline in the use of traditional voicemail, Microsoft is making a push toward video voicemails. Users can still access their traditional voicemail inboxes, but some features are being discontinued.

      “If you love using Skype’s traditional voicemail delivery, or simply can’t live without it, fear not. We’ll continue to support the ability to receive voicemail (with settings controllable in the Skype account portal), however custom voicemail greetings, email notifications and SMS transcription will no longer be available,” stated the Skype team in an Oct. 25 blog post.

      Pedro Hernandez
      Pedro Hernandez is a contributor to eWEEK and the IT Business Edge Network, the network for technology professionals. Previously, he served as a managing editor for the Internet.com network of IT-related websites and as the Green IT curator for GigaOM Pro.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×