Headset is important for Skype for Business

As you noticed earlier on this blog, so have I written some bloggs about different headsets. As you can see from the search I done on my blogg:
Search for headset on my blogg

Well at this time there has been lots of good one and some not so good. But tomorrow this all will change again when Sennheiser will give me try for the new MB-660.

Based on that I have read about it already, well this is something that I am looking forward to. Will it be as great as the Plantronics Focus UC ?

Skype Operations Framwork

It has been out for a while and this is a great method to get your Skype for Business either you will have it Online, Hybrid or Onprem installation.

Skype Operation Framwork

Since working as Chief Consultant, it's very important for me to work how the best practices say. This because the customer will get best and a smooth implementation of the Skype for Business.

In the lead of the technology

Today there are lot's of people out there talking about how to take Enterprise voice to the cloud. In the Nordic region Microsoft deliver lots of users to O365.
But then you have just PSTN Conferencing at the present time, unless you can use Telenor Office365 with Telenor Mobilt Bedriftsnett.

The new features of Skype for Business CU-3

One of my customers has installed the lastest CU for Skype for Business. The CU-3 or the June 2016 cumulative update. It can be found here.

This update contains some new features that will make Skype for Business more interesting. I will go through all the new stuff that comes in this package.

1. Offline messaging, can't say have been waiting for this. But it's here now. This works like this:
Some one sends you a message when you are Offline, well the system will collect these and give you an allert the time you get back online.  Like the pictures below. More about it here

 2. Busy on Busy is a new feature also. This is something that we in Nordic countries has used for ages thanks to Competella and their Routing Agent. Microsoft has since June 2016 this feature but it has some limited features if you look at it instead of the Routing Agent from Competella.
How this is configured, well Randy Chapman has a well written blog about this. Read all about this here.

3. Video based Screen Sharing (VbSS), the thing about this is to get these pro cons:

1. Make screen-sharing (up to 5%) more reliable compared to RDP alone.
2. Make the session setup and video experience faster compared to RDP alone (setup in half the time, with a 6:1 improvement in frames-per-second).
3. Works much better than RDP in low bandwidth conditions, even when sharing high motion content, such as 3-D graphics.

You have to do some changes to make this works. There are some commands to make policy changes that has to be run. Read all about it here. My customer who installed this update has not tried this yet, but when it's done I will sure come back on it here.

The last feature that is added is the multiple emergency numbers in Skype for Business. I am not sure how often this feature will be used in the Nordic countries where I mostly work. But you can read all about how to configure it here.

Thats all for today. Hope you found this one interesting. I will come back soon with some more news about Skype for Business.

TIme is running out, it's time to upgrade to Skype for Busniess

Summer is over and I got an email from Microsoft Support regarding some customer of mine who is still running Lync 2010. The email goes like this:

"After doing more research and tests I have confirmed that both Lync Server 2010 and Lync Server 2013 issue self-signed certificate with SHA-1 algorithm to Lync clients in the meantime both Skype for Business Server 2015 and Skype for Business online issue self-signed certificate with SHA-2 algorithm to their clients.

After doing plenty of research we cannot change Hash algorithm of the self-signed certificate issued by Lync Server 2010 and Lync Server 2013 so we’d like to suggest you perform the upgrade to Skype for Business Server 2015 before January 1, 2017. "

After doing some google search I found this one from November 2014,SHA-1 client issue as it say that clients does not have to do anything but this is an technical issue.

And since also Lync 2010 is out of mainstream support well now it's the time to plan for your upgrade.

KEMP Certified

For about a month ago I become KEMP Certified Salesperson. I had to take this since my first goal was to become KCE (Kemp Certified Engineer).
Well today I passed the test and are now KEMP Certified Engineer.

The next certification is the KCP (KEMP Certified Professional).

Tech update on KEMP with HTTP/2

HTTP/2 is the next major version of the HTTP protocol. While HTTP methods, status codes and language are preserved from HTTP/1.x, this version is a completely new implementation concept and brings many performance improvements, perceived latency enhancements and better resource utilization within reach of application and network designers.

Read all about it here:
KEMP HTTP/2

Skype for Business CU3

Microsoft has come out with CU3 for Skype for Business.
You can download it from here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3061064

This is some of the new features that is included in this CU:
The June 2016 cumulative update adds the following new features to Microsoft Skype for Business Server 2015:

• Video Based Screen Sharing
• Multiple Emergency Number 
• Busy Options (Busy on Busy and Voicemail on Busy)

Busy on Busy has Competella delivered in a long time with their Competella Routing Agent. What Microsoft has published in their, am I at present time not sure of. But it will be testet and I will come back with a blog about this.

Registry fix for more than 100 users in a goup

Based on information from Technet, we now can add distribution groups for more that 100 users in our Skype for Business client.
Just follow these settings from Technet
https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/lync/Skype-for-Business-cannot-e9693c2a

Client Update for Skype for Business

Yesterday Microsoft came out with a new client update for Skype for Business. Read all about here, and you can also download it from the URL.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3115087

Lync 2013/Skype for Business client update April 2016

Microsoft has an new update for the client out. It can be downloaded here:https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3114944


On the March 2016 update there was an issue that phone calls was disconnected after 20-40 seconds. There was also issue with joining the meeting from Lync/Skype client that the user got disconnected all the time.

With this patch, this has now been fixed.


Importent update: Was an old link that has come in here. New link has been added.

Last CU for Lync 2010

Sine Lync 2010 went out of Mainstream support 12th april this year, and now Microsoft will just comes up with critical fixes then next 5 years.
More information about this CU is here:
http://blog.thoughtstuff.co.uk/2016/05/last-cu-for-lync-2010-released-end-of-main-stream-support/

Let me just say, that is time to upgrade to Skype for Business if you are still on Lync 2010 Standard or Enterprise Edition.

DHCP options Lync/Skype for Business

Over the years, I have worked a lot with Polycom Lync phones, SNOM IP phones and Aastra/Mitel Phones.
All the years I have been using DHCP options and this has been a great and nice to work with.
Well, now it has been just a bit more simple.
We got a GUI for this now and it can be downloaded from here. There are also information about it here:
http://www.myskypelab.com/2015/11/skype4b-lync-dhcp-config-tool.html

Great tool to make your day easier.

Plantronics Voyager Focus UC

Last authum I did get my Plantronics
http://www.plantronics.com/uk/product/voyager-focus-uc?skuId=sku7180014

This has been one of the best headset I ever used. Both as a UC headset and a mobile headset.
Lot's  of my customers has also used this and they are as I very happy about it.
It's simple and great quality, long hours of speaking and together with Plantronics HUB witch you can download here: http://www.plantronics.com/us/product/plantronics-hub-desktop
You can from this application control and update firmware and other functions as well.

Preview of the new MAC client that will comes

Microsoft has this video out for the new MAC client on OS X.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a70ZoOlq2NY&feature=youtu.be

The codecs to be used is SILK and SVC264. Since this is the preview, well not all functions are in place and you can use the old 2011 client for all the other functions that is not covered in the "beta".

The new client they say that it will come in Q3 2016 for all the users. So sign up for the preview at
https://www.skypepreview.com/

PSTN Calling is now expanding.......

From the Skype Preview you can if you are in UK try out the PSTN Calling.

https://www.skypepreview.com/

Hope this will expand futher in rest of Europe soon.

New update for Lync 2013 is here......

Microsoft has delivered April 2016 update for Lync 2013.
Here is where you find it.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2809243?sd=rss&spid=924


Thanks to @randychapman on Twitter for sharing this

Mitel acquires Polycom.......

From the NoJitter blog, we got this message that Mitel acguires Polycom

http://www.nojitter.com/post/240171602/mitel-acquires-polycom--the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly#.VxEQ1XB4YUw.linkedin

Enterprise Connect 2016 Day 3

Here is wrapup video from day 3 of the Enterprise Connect

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Jme_iI1P9w&feature=youtu.be

CloudPBX and CloudConnector Edition

One of the big issues for Skype Online has been that we in Europe don't have been able to enable the users for Enterprise Voice. Well now are things happening.

Based on this information from Microsoft you can now have it.
https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/nexthop/2016/04/07/worldwide-use-of-office-365-cloud-pbx-now-simplified/

And what do you need to configure this?
https://technet.microsoft.com/EN-US/library/mt455212.aspx

This can also be solved by using AudioCodes CloudBond 365
http://www.audiocodes.com/cloudbond-365

I am looking forward to try this out soon and will then blog about the result.