Skype For Business (SFB) Quick Access - UBCO perspective
Article ID: 935 | Last Updated: Wed, Apr 7, 2021 at 4:41 PM
Skype For Business functions a little differently for those of us at UBCO than for those at UBCV.
Here is a quick-start overview on how to get connected AND how to ensure no one gets stuck in the "Virtual Lobby" when trying to join your meeting!
Article sections:
- Logging in on Windows
- Logging in on Mac
- Basic uses
- Scheduling / Creating meetings
- Attending Meetings
Logging in for the first time
- Logging in on Windows for the first time; start with Outlook closed.
- Sign-in address is your normal email, <firstname.lastname@ubc.ca>
- Click on Sign In to continue
- A Password box will appear; enter your CWL password
- Click on Sign In to continue
- Save Login Info? Click Yes.
- You will see an error saying Skype has failed to login; this is expected behaviour because on our campus we’re not automatically on the EAD system.
- New window opens: in Username, enter your CWL username in the format "ead\CWL username"
- Save Login Info? Click Yes.
- Setup your camera and microphone preferences by using settings icon, ’Audio Device’, ’Video Device’.
- Start Outlook again
- Sign-in address is your normal email, <firstname.lastname@ubc.ca>
- Logging in on Mac for the first time; start with Outlook closed:
- Sign-in address is your normal email, "firstname.lastname@ubc.ca"
- Click on ’Advanced Options’ to add additional necessary information
- In Username, enter your CWL username in the format "EAD\CWL username"
- Click on Save; you’ll be returned to the main window
- Click on Continue
- Type in your CWL password, check the box ’Keep me signed in’ and click Sign In.
- Setup your camera and microphone by choosing Skype For Business menu / preferences / Audio/Video.
- Start Outlook again
- Sign-in address is your normal email, "firstname.lastname@ubc.ca"
Basic Uses
- Basic Uses:
- Building your contact list of people with whom you communicate regularly:
- In search box, type name or email address of person for whom you’re looking.
- Windows: Right-click on their name and either:
- Add to Favourites - if you’ll need quick daily access to this person in your contacts
- Add to Contacts List - if you’d like to add them to another contacts list you’ve created.
- Mac: Right-click on their name, hover over Groups, then select the contact list you want to add them to.
- Windows: Right-click on their name and either:
- Communicating with your contacts:
- In your Contacts list, right-click on a name, and choose:
- Send Instant Message (IM)
- Chat window opens, type your message and hit Enter
- Start Call
- Starts an audio-only call
- Start Video Call
- Your app calls out to your contacts app with your camera and microphone activated
- Send Email
- Opens Outlook email window
- Schedule Meeting
- Opens Outlook calendar window
- Send Instant Message (IM)
- In your Contacts list, right-click on a name, and choose:
- In search box, type name or email address of person for whom you’re looking.
- Building your contact list of people with whom you communicate regularly:
Scheduling Meetings
- Scheduling Videoconference Meetings with others at UBC or elsewhere. (If the other attendees do not have Skype For Business installed, a browser plug-in will be automatically downloaded when they join the meeting.)
- In your personal Outlook calendar (not a shared calendar), create a Meeting (not an "Appointment" on a Mac).
- Fill in the normal details of name, time, date, etc.
- Click on "Skype Meeting" (Windows) or "Online Meeting" (Mac)
- Connection details are automatically added to the invitation.
- Send your invitation as you normally would.
- In your personal Outlook calendar (not a shared calendar), create a Meeting (not an "Appointment" on a Mac).
- The Virtual Lobby happens when you are using the default Meeting Room in your SFB account. Here's how to change that:
Creating Unique Videoconference IDs (Dynamic IDs) for secure meetings (and to get rid of the Virtual Lobby):
- Windows:
- Create a Skype For Business meeting in your Outlook calendar as described above.
- Click on Meeting Options in Skype Meetings box
- Under "Where do you want to meet online?" select "A new meeting space (I control permissions)"
- Under "These people don't have to wait in the lobby" select "Anyone (no restrictions".
- You can also choose whether or not you'd like an announcement for when people enter or leave
- Under "Who's a presenter?" select "Anyone (no restrictions)"
- Click on box "Remember settings" and click on OK
- Mac:
- Create a Skype For Business meeting in your Outlook calendar as described above.
- Click on the down-arrow beside "Online Meeting" (the following items and their wording may vary slightly depending on what version of Outlook you are using)
- Click on "Set Access Permissions" or choose "Customize access levels, presenter options, and phone settings"
- A dialogue box will open
- Choose the "Access" tab
- Set level slider to "Everyone"
- Choose the "Presenter" tab
- Under "Who can be a presenter:" choose "Everyone (no restrictions)"
- If you have a "Phone" tab, choose that and set the access level to let everyone in; put a check in the box "people dialing in by phone can bypass the lobby"
- Click in box "Remember settings"
- Click on OK
- You or your guests may need a PIN to get into SFB meetings by phone.
- Everyone has to have their own PIN; yours won't work for others because it's tied to your UBC phone number
- You should have a PIN automatically assigned as part of working at UBCO.
- If that's not the case, contact Vancouver IT to ask for a Skype For Business phone PIN:
- Windows:
Attending Meetings
- Attending meetings
- From an invitation in your calendar:
- Click on "Join meeting"
- From a large videoconference room at UBC or UBCO:
- Dial out to 82999
- When prompted, enter the Conference ID found at the bottom of your Skype For Business invitation
- From an invitation in your calendar: