Audio Conferencing, Web Conferencing, Operator Assisted Conferencing Services, Customer Service and Assistance, Teleconferencing, Online Web Meetings, Conference Call Services, Virtual Events, Video Conferencing

 Applies to: Office 365Topic Last Modified: 2016-01-26Skype for Business Meetings provide the ability for up to 250 people to collaborate online by using features such as video, audio, instant messaging, or content sharing.Ad-Hoc Skype for Business MeetingsUsers can start or join an ad-hoc Skype for Business Meeting with just a few clicks in the Skype for Business client or in Office. Skype for Business lets users escalate simple instant messaging conversations or email conversations to PC-based, multiparty audio and video meetings with shared desktops, applications, and documents.Skype for Business Multiparty Audio and VideoSkype for Business provides for Skype for Business-based, multiparty (three or more users) audio conferencing capabilities. Skype for Business multiparty audio provides users with an adaptive audio codec for optimal performance under varying bandwidth conditions, visual call and roster controls, network quality indicator, and powerful user management features (for example, drag and drop a participant name to add them to a meeting).In addition to audio, Skype for Business enables users to connect through high quality video sessions. Both person-to-person and multiparty (three or more users) sessions are supported. Active speaker video is available only for multiparty sessions. With Skype for Business, users can easily schedule an online meeting with video or seamlessly escalate an IM session to a video call.The video experience is enhanced by the following features:

Important:
Multiparty Skype for Business audio and video capabilities might not be available in certain countries due to regulatory restrictions. For details, see About license restrictions.

Presenter Controls

In Skype for Business meetings, presenters have access to the following meeting controls:

Participant Views

In a Skype for Business meeting, participants can select from the following options depending on how they want to view the meeting content, presenter, or participants:

Dial-in Conferencing Services

Dial-in conferencing is the ability for users to dial into a Skype for Business meeting or conference from a phone. For dial-in conferencing, you set up users to be able to use Microsoft or a third-party audio conferencing provider (ACP) as their dial-in conferencing provider. To do this, see Assign Microsoft as the dial-in conferencing provider to a user or Assign a third party as the dial-in conferencing provider for a user.

Important:
If necessary, some of the users in your organization can use Microsoft as the provider, and others can use an ACP. A list of ACPs is available on Microsoft PinPoint.For details on dial-in conferencing providers, see Dial-in conferencing in Office 365.Multiparty Skype for Business audio and video capabilities may not be available in certain countries due to regulatory restrictions.

Multiparty Desktop and Application Sharing

Skype for Business provides powerful PC-to-PC and multiparty data sharing capabilities. Desktop sharing enables presenters to broadcast any visuals, applications, webpages, documents, software, or part of their desktops to remote participants in real time, right from Skype for Business. Audience members can follow along with mouse movements and keyboard input. Presenters can choose to share the entire screen or only a portion.

Application sharing enables presenters to share control of software on their desktops without losing sight of participant feedback or text questions. Presenters can also delegate control of the application to meeting participants.

PowerPoint

Skype for Business provides multiparty PowerPoint presentation, with higher-resolution displays and support for PowerPoint capabilities, such as animations, slide transitions, and embedded video. Mobile devices can also access the presentations because the feature uses standard HTML 5 and JavaScript to broadcast PowerPoint presentations. Users with the appropriate privileges can scroll through a PowerPoint presentation independent of the presentation.

Important:
Upload of other file types, including multimedia content, is not supported.

Web Conferencing Tools

Skype for Business provides multiparty web conferencing capabilities including virtual whiteboard and annotations. A whiteboard is a blank canvas that can be used for collaboration, with text, ink, drawings, and images. Annotations made on whiteboards can be seen by all meeting participants. The whiteboard feature enhances collaboration by enabling meeting participants to discuss ideas, brainstorm, take notes, and so on.

Skype Meeting Broadcast

Skype Meeting Broadcast lets you produce, host, and broadcast meetings to large online audiences -- up to 10,000 attendees. You schedule a meeting using the Skype Meeting Broadcast scheduling and management portal. You use the familiar meeting experience within Skype for Business to produce a professional, engaging event for your audience. Attendees can join and engage in the meeting from anywhere on any device.

Several roles are required for producing a Skype Meeting Broadcast. These include:

Polling

The polling feature enhances collaboration by enabling presenters to quickly determine participants’ preferences. During online meetings and conversations, presenters can use polling to gather anonymous responses from participants. All presenters can see the results and can either hide the results or show them to all attendees.

Recording and Playback

The recording feature allows organizers and presenters to record all aspects of a Skype for Business session, including who entered the meeting, audio and video, and content from IM conversations, program sharing sessions, PowerPoint presentations, handouts, whiteboards, and so on. Organizers and presenters can choose 480p, 720p HD, or 1080p Full HD as their preferred resolution for client-side recordings. Recordings are saved to the organizer’s or presenter’s computer. To make a recording available to others, the organizer or presenter can move or copy the recording to a shared location. To learn more about changing the location and resolution of a Skype for Business recording, see Skype for Business recording location and resolution.

Meeting Lobby

With the Lobby feature, users decide who gets into the meeting directly, and who waits until the presenter lets them in. This feature is recommended for large meetings, or meetings that will involve confidential or sensitive information. Different Lobby options can be set for users who are connecting through a Skype for Business client and users who are dialing in.

Authentication and Skype for Business Web App Users

Skype for Business now supports both authenticated and unauthenticated Skype for Business attendees. If a user receives a Skype for Business Meeting invitation but does not have an account with your organization, he or she can still join the meeting by using Skype for Business and signing in with the Guest account.

Scheduled Meetings from Outlook

The Skype for Business desktop client includes an Outlook plug-in that provides users with single-click scheduling of online meetings in Outlook. Participants can join with a single click from the Outlook reminder, or through the Outlook meeting itself. Organizers can set up meetings using predefined conference properties, or can set meeting types and admission policies for specific needs. Details (such as meeting time, location, and attendees) follow the familiar Outlook template, and conference call-specific information (such as dial-in number and meeting passcode) are automatically populated (access phone numbers require a third-party dial-in audio conferencing service). For more information about scheduling Skype for Business meetings, see Set up a Skype for Business Meeting.

Important:
Skype for Business supports a maximum meeting capacity of 250 users.

Scheduled Meetings from Outlook Web App

Skype for Business Online users who also have Exchange Online can use Outlook Web App to set up Skype for Business Meetings. Details (such as meeting time, location, and attendees) follow the familiar template, and conference call-specific information (such as dial-in number and meeting passcode) are automatically populated (access phone numbers require a third-party dial-in audio conferencing service).

Scheduled Meetings with Skype for Business Web Scheduler

Skype for Business Web Scheduler provides a web-based way to schedule a Skype for Business Meeting. It provides a browser-based conference management experience that includes operations such as the following:

Meeting Content Retention

Customers using Skype for Business Online can upload content to a Skype for Business meeting as attachments, such as PowerPoint presentations, OneNote files, and other files. The retention period for content that has been uploaded to a meeting is as follows:

Note:
If a user is unlicensed or disabled in ActiveDirectory (that is, if msRTCSIP-userenabled=False) with DirSync, and is then re-licensed or reenabled, meeting content is not retained.

Meeting Expiration

Users can access a specific meeting after the meeting has ended, subject to the following expiration time periods:

Feature Availability

To view feature availability across Office 365 plans, standalone options, and on-premise solutions, see Skype for Business Online Service Description.

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