With Teams’ success, it has been very quiet on the Skype for Business Server front. In August 2022, Microsoft confirmed they “remain committed” to supporting Skype for Business Server beyond 2025.
Now some news for Skype for Business Server customers, The Skype for Business Server team is looking for new members to join their Technology Adoption Program (TAP).
From their blog:
TAP is an established program designed to validate updates to Skype for Business Server by asking customers to test them in their own lab or production environments.
Program participants can assess and validate upcoming features and enhancements before they are generally available and provide feedback directly to the Skype for Business product development team.
New feature announcements will be communicated to participants through email and a Teams channel dedicated to Skype for Business 2015/2019 discussion.
Program Benefits
- Get a head start in the next deployment cycle, taking advantage of new and enhanced features available in upcoming releases.
- Provide feedback on, and influence the direction of future updates to Skype for Business Server directly to the product group.
- Build a close relationship with the Skype for Business Server product team
- Participate in the way that makes sense for your organization, with no obligations or commitments
Qualifications for Participation
- Willing to dedicate resources (people, time, and hardware) to testing pre-release Skype for Business Server builds
- Respond to requests for feedback, including surveys, attend conference calls and participate in email and Teams channel conversations
- Provide constructive insights with context
- Share feedback even when not requested, especially if a new feature is problematic for your organization.
How to Join
If you feel your organization is what we are looking for, you can nominate yourself by emailing SfBTAP@microsoft.com with the information listed below. Please put “SfB TAP Customer Nomination” in the subject line.
- Company name
- Number of Skype for Business users in your organization
- Version(s) of Skype for Business Server you are currently running
- Name and email address of the contact person
- Reason for your interest in the Technology Adoption Program
So, if you are still running Skype for Business Server and are invested in it for a few years more, this is an excellent opportunity to get involved with new features and the next version.
