Skype for
Business Services

Firstly, Skype for Business (previously called Lync) provides a separation between family life and work. Secondly, Skype for Business offers more features, specific to business use. These include:

• Cost saving – the most obvious reason to switch to Skype for Business is that you can make Skype-to-Skype calls to anyone anywhere in the world. You can do it for free, or at a greatly smaller cost if they are using other internet platforms or ordinary landlines. All you pay is a flat rate per user, and the small additional cost when phoning landlines.
• Skype for Business syncs with other MS Office products, so you can book meetings or group calls in advance using Outlook. If you have another meeting on Outlook, Skype can be set to automatically show you as busy or unavailable should someone try to call you during that time.
• Virtually meet with up to 250 people – yes, 250! Share documents, pictures etc. while conducting meetings with people from anywhere else in the world. In addition to this, meetings can be broadcast to up to 10 000 users. You can stream audio, video, and PowerPoint presentations, track sentiment and enable third parties to add audience polling, formal Q&As and other functionality.
• Flexibility – above all, stay in touch with your staff no matter where they are. Staff can freely roam within the office as well and not be stuck at a desk or a specific phone. Moreover, you can delegate calls, meaning your assistant can handle calls that you are too busy to take.

*All parties to the call need to be on Skype for Business or the free version of Skype.

After Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype, Lync there’s been an upgrade and rebrand as Skype for Business.

You can use a wide variety of devices, such as the built-in speakers, microphone and even webcams on most laptops. Or you could even use free-standing microphones, speakers and webcams.

Headsets and webcams

For the sake of more privacy and convenience, many users adopt headsets instead. Headsets are fairly cheap: moreover, we can help you choose from a wide range of devices that will best suit your needs.

Webcams are not crucial – you will still be able to see the video feeds from the other participants, but they won’t be able to see you.

No. Because it’s better to use secure email for sending sensitive data, such as our own email filtering service.

In fact, rather badly. Skype for Business links to a primary account and changing that can cause various issues. It’s more sound to keep your existing business email account for Skype and create a new Skype account for your new email address. Then you can gradually phase that one in by booking new meetings/ conference calls on the new account, whilst still keeping the old account open for meetings/ conference calls that have already been set.

This is usually part of MS Office, but may also require the installation of the latest version of Skype for Business Server.

Yes, our friendly staff will help you with any questions and setting up your devices.

You can schedule your meetings in advance via Outlook, or you could create impromptu meetings using Skype itself. Simply create a new conversation, select all the relevant participants, and message or call them. Simply right-clicking on the group icon that will appear and selecting “Call Group”, “Send IM”, or any of the other commands. Instead of creating a new conversation, you could also use an existing group.