Just a quick one to let everyone know Skype for Business Server June 2016 Cumulative Update (CU3), has just dropped.
It has a couple of documented fixes, but also adds the following features:
- Video Based Screen Sharing
- Multiple Emergency Number
- Busy Options (Busy on Busy and Voicemail on Busy)
Download: Skype for Business Server 2015 Cumulative Update KB3061064 version 9319.259 date 6/27/2016
KB: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3061064
Video Based Screen Sharing
Traditionally Skype for Business (and Lync) uses Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to screen share, this gives easy remote control but can be more bandwidth intensive than using a video codec. For some time the 16.x Skype for Business clients have supported the option of using video encoding for screen sharing, and more recently this was added to Skype for Business Online. CU3 adds this ability to Skype for Business Server, including conferencing. VBSS will use less bandwidth and give higher frame rates for screen sharing. RDP is still used where remote control is required.
Jeff has a great write up on it here: http://blog.schertz.name/2015/10/video-based-screen-sharing-in-skype-for-business/
Official KB, which doesn’t really have any information: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3170163
Multiple Emergency Number
Skype for Business Server now supports the configuration of multiple emergency numbers for a client. Multiple emergency numbers is a new feature introduced in the June 2016 Cumulative Update. While the United States has a single emergency number, 911, many countries support multiple emergency numbers.
The United Kingdom, for example, supports both 999, the emergency number for the United Kingdom, and 112, the emergency number for the European Union. This feature is also useful for healthcare providers within the United States who want to have roaming support for multiple code blue emergency numbers.
Plan for multiple emergency numbers in Skype for Business Server 2015
Configure multiple emergency numbers in Skype for Business 2015
Busy Options (Busy on Busy and Voicemail on Busy)
We’ve been waiting on this one for some time, and there have been a few third party options, but it looks like we now have a true native option for Busy on Busy and Voicemail on Busy. Personally, I’ve never really understood the demand for this feature, knowing there is a second call incoming and who it is is really useful, but there is a demand, and here it is.
Busy Options is a new voice policy in Microsoft Skype for Business Server 2015. This feature makes it possible to reject and send a busy signal to new incoming calls or to send the call to voicemail if the person who is being called is already in a call or conference, or has a call on hold.
If the Busy Options voice policy is enabled for the organization, the following options can be set for all users at the enterprise (both Business Voice and non-Business Voice):
- Busy on Busy: New incoming calls are rejected and sent a busy signal when the user is busy.
- Voicemail on Busy: New incoming calls are forwarded to voicemail when the user is busy.
When one of these options is set, the Busy Options setting is in effect for all the user’s Skype for Business endpoints. For example, a call that’s rejected and sent a busy signal or that’s sent to voice mail by Busy Options doesn’t ring on any of the Macintosh, Windows Desktop, Mobile Clients, or IP telephones (VOIP) that the user is signed into
June 2016 cumulative update 6.0.9319.259 for Skype for Business Server 2015, Busy Options
Plan for Busy Options for Skype for Business Server
Install and configure Busy Options for Skype for Business Server
Offline IM
Offline IM is a client side feature built into Skype for Business client (2016 C2R build 16.0.6701.1000 or higher) that leverages Exchange Web Services (EWS) to send messages from the Skype for Business client to a user’s Exchange mailbox. Offline IM uses Exchange Web Services (EWS) to send Offline messages from the Skype for Business client to the mailbox of recipient. EWS must be available to the Skype for Business client for Offline messages to be sent. To learn more about planning for instant messaging and presence, see Plan for instant messaging and presence in Skype for Business Server 2015.
Enable or Disable Offline Instant Messaging (IM) in Skype for Business Server 2015
Busy Options comment
>>Personally I’ve never really understood the demand for this feature…
It always depends how busy options are implemented on a call control server. Just sending back a busy tone to a caller is not a good option, I agree. Sending a caller directly to Voicemail if busy makes more sense. But I think this new feature is still missing required options, like define other call forwarding destinations, a classical use case is to send a call directly to an operator or any other extension (CFB). In this case the caller do not have to wait till the CF timer expires or the callee triggers the call to be forwarded. also it should be possible to distinguish between external and internal calls, you do not send a busy tone back to this callers and VM is not always a good option (at least in many countries).
So room for improvement exists for this busy option.
Thanks for the comment and insight
Tom
We also have been waiting for the busy on busy option for some of our call center users that we have a third party system directing calls to our SfB EV numbers and it has a problem when either VM is given or rings out – so presenting a busy tone enables the call to be directed by the 3rd party to another user. Look forward to testing this in a month or so.
Interesting. Good use case. Let me know how it goes. Hope to see you on the 6th!
Good Stuff
[…] Skype for Business June 2016 CU (3) gives video based Screensharing […]
Hi
Good post!
Does anyone has an idea where to download the right Client?
I tested this Feature with different Client versions but only a Version higher than 2016 C2R build 16.0.6920.1000 is working.
Where can I download this Version? Is it included in different Office Versions?
In Office 2016 Prof Plus it is included.
thanks!
Hi, this explanation of different versions might help:
https://tomtalks.mystagingwebsite.com/2015/12/understanding-office-click-run-branches-msi-skype-business-client-versions/
It might be the feature is only in C2R at the moment
[…] in Skype for Business Online now, and came to server in CU3, and now the mobile client support it […]
[…] a feature we didn’t initially have in Skype for Business Server either it was added in June 2016 CU3. Again, if enough customers want a feature. It will usually get […]