Daniel Kundrat in Skype for Business Mac Insider Preview,. I'm using SfB on Mac (Version 16.5.185) and my job title is still my old title. The Skype Mac client runs on the latest Mac OS X El Capitan release, according to a Skype Mac client demonstration video. Users may continue to use Lync for Mac 2011 alongside the Mac client Preview to get continued access to voice and messaging features. Microsoft has been convincing businesses.
It’s finally here! Microsoft has at last released the new Mac client for Skype for Business.
(Okay, it was released on October 26. But I was on vacation.)
(Okay, it was released on October 26. But I was on vacation.)
As soon as I saw the announcement, I grabbed a copy and one of our test Macs. The same Mac on which I’d tested the Skype Preview earlier in the year (and had several issues). Fortunately, the new Mac client installed & ran smoothly.
Get the Mac Client
Download Skype for Business on Mac here: Skype for Business on Mac – Microsoft Download Center
(Curious note: Microsoft has a page up for Skype for Business apps: Download Skype for Business across all your devices. The Mac client version available here? It’s still Lync for Mac 2011. Somebody didn’t do their update…)
So what do we have for our Mac friends? The new client is, I’d say, a fair and equitable companion to the Windows Skype for Business client. There are some differences, and (as of now) a few limitations. But overall, I think our Mac customers will enjoy this client very much.
What the Mac Client Has
You wouldn’t expect any Skype for Business client not to have all the basics. The Mac client is no different. Presence status, IM, making/receiving phone calls, Meetings (Meet Now and Scheduled Skype Meetings), video calling, screen sharing…all are included. It even has a couple new features: One-click Meeting Join. Full-screen sharing.
All within a nice clean typical-Mac-UI interface.
Being a Windows guy, I thought for a moment that they’d stripped out many of the options. Until I realized that those options were available in the Skype for Business navigation menus instead.
Which actually led me to finding some notable differences between client versions.
Differences from Windows Client
In keeping with the Mac’s “streamlined UI” motif, several items you’d find right away in the Windows client aren’t showing in the Mac client. At least, not at a glance.
For instance, Call Forwarding. You can set Call Forwarding options in 2 places on Windows – in Skype for Business’ Options, and in the Call Forwarding dropdown along the bottom of the Windows client.
The latter option is not available in Skype4B on Mac. You can only set Call Forwarding in the Preferences window, under Calls.
![Skype for business Skype for business](https://support.content.office.net/en-us/media/fb87bce6-7f71-4495-8c3b-ca1a7353a58d.png)
(As you see here, setting your Voicemail Greeting is also under Calls.)
Also, Device selection. Through which device will you make & receive calls? On Windows, Skype for Business lets you choose this in the same 2 places as Call Forwarding. On Mac, Skype for Business only lets you do this in Preferences, under Audio/Video.
By default, Instant Messaging windows open in the main Skype for Business window, under “Chats.” Chats also serves as Conversation History in the Mac client.
(If you want separate windows for Instant Messaging conversations, check the “Show conversations in separate windows” box in the Preferences/General window.)
Limitations & Known Issues
This is a V1 client. I’m sure Microsoft could have held it back longer for more feature additions, but they opted not to. Kind of glad they did; Mac users have dealt with Lync for Mac for too long.
That said, the new Mac client does have limitations. A few features Windows users enjoy are not available…at least not at this stage.
- No Application Sharing (yet).
- Persistent Chat is NOT integrated.
- No Delegate management.
- No initiating calls to Response Groups.
- Call Park is not available.
In terms of known issues, Microsoft has already published a list: Known Issues – Skype for Business on Mac
One to note here: you can’t have both Lync for Mac and Skype for Business on Mac clients installed side-by-side. If you use Lync for Mac, uninstall it before installing Skype for Business.
I came across one of the issues almost immediately. If you’re logged into Skype for Business with one account, but logged into Outlook with another, Skype Meeting functionality doesn’t come up in Outlook.
Even when you’re logged in with the same account, you may need to use the “Online Meeting” button to add Skype Meeting URLs/dial-in numbers to a Meeting invite. When I first opened a new Meeting, I had a blank invite. I clicked the Online Meeting button, and you see the result below. Instant Skype Meeting.
It’s Finally Here! Go Install Skype for Business on your Mac
Final impressions: I’m glad Microsoft did the Preview. This client was all-new, and it definitely had bugs. Leveraging the Skype4B community is a good way to hunt them down quickly.
The new Mac client is stable; I’ve had it running for over 36 hours now with no errors or crashes. It has a good feature set. It’s ready for day-to-day use. And we’re all happy for that!
For a full feature list, check the now-updated client comparison table: Client Comparison Tables for Skype for Business Server 2015
(Just remember to uninstall Lync for Mac first. And the Skype Preview client, if you tried that out!)
What do you think of Skype for Business on Mac? Please comment below or email in your thoughts.
Last month I blogged about the new Skype for Business on Mac preview program. I got into the testing beta, and received the Stage 1 Meetings client a short time ago.
Today I document Stage 1 of my testing to date. So far, the new Mac client is shaping up as a MUCH better app than Lync for Mac.
Following the criteria I set last month, here are my testing observations.
Starting the Test
For this and future tests of the Skype for Business Mac Client Meetings Experience, I used an older iMac desktop (still running El Capitan). The computer has 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive. It connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi.
In my previous post I noted three things I saw in the Mac Preview content:
- No toolbar with Present options along the bottom
- Mac uses the Picture-in-Picture viewing mode
- Borderless Meeting display
I quickly found that 2 and 3 are accurate. 1 was a little off; there is a Present option, but it’s limited. Explanation below.
Installation Process
Installation took only a moment. Download the preview client .app file and click to install. I was pleased to see an update notice right away: Microsoft had pushed out a couple of new versions just in the few days between my download and the install!
Login requires the same information as any other Skype4B client: username, password, and (depending on your server setup) domain. I needed to enter my domain in the following format: “DOMAINNAMEchris.williams.”
Another helpful thing I noticed: This Mac has the Lync for Mac client installed. Once I finished my test, I shut down the preview client and opened Lync for Mac. Installing the Skype for Business Preview client did not affect the Lync client.
Meeting Functions
Stage 1 is focused on Meetings. Joining them, scheduling them, voice & video, and content sharing. My test results, then, consisted of running through the preview client and verifying how much function I had for each Meetings aspect.
Scheduling: I was not able to schedule a meeting from the client. But I was able to join a scheduled meeting by clicking it.
I’m also able to adjust my Presence status, which I didn’t expect to have just yet.
I was also able to invite people into the meeting once created.
Meet Now: I had a co-worker initiate a Meet Now & invite me. He did so, but I didn’t see any notice on the Mac. I did hear my everyday computer – which also has Skype for Business installed – signaling me that I had a Meet Now invite.
*Note: Ringing/showing invites to the most recent login is typical Skype4B behavior. In this case it did not occur. That may be due to the Mac client’s preview status. I’d assume as much anyway.
Voice and Video: Speaking in a Meeting on the Preview was no different than voice on my regular computer. Same with video – in fact, to my clearly-not-a-designer’s eye, the video looked sharper on the Mac than my PC!
See below for quality results.
See below for quality results.
Content Sharing: I could present my Desktop. However, I found no other present options in the menu. No big surprise; I expect these to trickle in between Stage 2 and 3.
Meeting Quality
Okay, Meetings do work. How about their quality? A Skype Meeting is no good if you can’t see video, or the call drops randomly.
Video: No problems here. Video renders smooth and clear–like you’d expect on a Mac. Here’s a capture from my video feed.
Responsiveness: Comparable to my regular computer. Which itself is encouraging, since my regular computer has better specs than the test Mac. Since this is a Mac-only version of the Preview, I could not test it on other devices. (Come to think of it, I haven’t received a download for the iOS preview client yet…)
Voice Quality: Comparable to my regular calls. I conducted a test call with a co-worker and a customer, neither of whom knew I was calling from a different computer.
Limitations
Since this is a Stage 1 client, we expect plenty of limitations. And as expected, I had absolutely no access to Contacts or the Phone. But they are in the client window already. You see this screen if you click them:
Also, I did not see a screen sharing option. According to the Release Notes linked above, we should be able to “Share your screen in the meeting.” But I did not have the option. Maybe it wasn’t developed enough for Stage 1? I’ll monitor the updates in case Microsoft slips it in before Stage 2.
Test Results: A Strong Foundation for the Rest
The new Meetings Preview client has its limits. It’s not usable as a Lync for Mac replacement yet. But it signifies a strong foundation on which to add more functionality.
Stage 2 of the Mac Preview, Messaging & Contact Lists, is expected in about 4 weeks. I’ll upgrade the preview client once we get it and do another test.
Mac users! What would you say is your biggest frustration with Lync on Mac? Please comment or email your thoughts. As the preview proceeds, I’d like to try testing common issues.
Join us again next week!
Skype for Business Preview on Mac: Testing Stage 1