Skype for Business Project

In October 2017, Information Services (IS) started a phased rollout of Skype for Business, an audio- and videoconferencing application from Microsoft. This page provides information about that service launch at the University of Oregon.

What is Skype for Business?

Skype for Business is an audio- and videoconferencing application from Microsoft that also offers instant messaging, screen sharing, and other collaboration features, including seamless meeting scheduling through Microsoft Outlook.

Skype for Business is available to us as part of the university's existing Office 365 site license.

Skype has some limitations. It's not meant to be a replacement for the telephone system in that it will not have the capability to dial 911 or the UO Police Department because it does not connect to the public telephone network.

Learn more at Around the O: "A new tool for staging online meetings comes to campus," March 16, 2018.

Latest wave of rollouts: April 2018

As of April 24, 2018, Skype for Business is available to all UO employees.

Please note: Employees whose computers are managed by IT staff in their department may not see the Skype for Business application on their computers until a later date.

Employees in the following units received access to Skype for Business prior to April 2018:

  • Academic Extension
  • Business Affairs
  • College of Arts and Sciences
  • College of Design
  • College of Education
  • Information Services
  • Lundquist College of Business
  • School of Journalism and Communication
  • Zebrafish Information Network
  • Others:
    • Certain IT system administrators across campus
    • Some additional employees from various units

Employees will receive more information about Skype for Business once their access has been granted, either directly from IS or from the IT staff in their respective units.

Please note that Skype for Business will not appear in users' Office 365 app lists at office.uoregon.edu. It must be installed separately.

Answers to common questions

Many FAQs are answered in the UO Service Portal: https://service.uoregon.edu/TDClient/KB/ArticleDet?ID=40083.

Key FAQs from the initial limited rollout

We wanted to bring a few of the most commonly asked questions to your attention:

Do I need to have Skype for Business to attend a Skype meeting?

Anyone can join a Skype for Business meeting as a guest. Follow the instructions here: https://service.uoregon.edu/TDClient/KB/ArticleDet?ID=48418. This applies to UO students and people not affiliated with UO. However, you can only initiate chats or spontaneous video calls with others at UO who also have their own Skype for Business access. 

Is the UO's Skype for Business service "federated" for communicating with people at other universities or people who have the consumer version of Skype?

No, not at this time. However, please note that anyone should be able to join a Skype for Business meeting as a guest, following the instructions above.

Can I call in to a Skype for Business meeting using my telephone?

No. Although we may offer this feature in the future, calling in by telephone is not currently available at the UO.

Mac users: Update your Skype for Business app to fix bug

Mac users who installed the Skype for Business app prior to January 31, 2018, should update to version 16.14.163 (or newer) to fix a bug that several people reported during the limited rollout. Older versions of the Mac app were mistakenly displaying alerts saying chat messages weren't delivered when actually they had been delivered.

Future steps in Skype for Business launch

The timing and scope of future rollouts of Skype for Business will be influenced by the results of the April 2018 rollouts. We have received helpful feedback so far and expect more feedback from the latest wave of rollouts, which will significantly increase the total number of Skype for Business users on campus.

Getting help

The UO Service Portal features a series of how-to articles (also known as a knowledge base) to help you with Skype for Business:

https://service.uoregon.edu/TDClient/KB/?CategoryID=8473

Topics include:

  • Initiating video calls, voice calls, and chats
  • Sharing your desktop with others
  • Presenting a PowerPoint presentation
  • Creating a Skype meeting in Outlook
  • Downloading, installing, and setting up Skype for Business*

*Note: If your computer is managed by IT staff in your unit, please consult them before trying to install Skype for Business.

If you need further assistance or have questions about Skype for Business, please contact the IT staff in your unit.

If you're not sure whom to contact, please submit a help request through the UO Service Portal. (Go to https://service.uoregon.edu/TDClient/Requests/ServiceDet?ID=23251, click the green "Request Help" button, log in with your Duck ID, complete the form and click the green "Request" button.)