Microsoft Launches Skype For Business For Mac Preview

Microsoft Launches Skype For Business For Mac Preview

The business-focused version of Skype’s communications services is aimed at a commercial client base.

I.T. administrators and individuals can sign up to test the new software, that introduces features like Outlook integration, additional security, and calls that allow up to 250 people versus Skype’s 25 max. However, Microsoft says invites will roll out first to I.T. admins before becoming more broadly.

As reported by the company, the Preview build will be released in three stages, starting with the launch, before the public version is made available.

Interested testers can visit SkypePreview Website to sign up for an invite. Once an I.T. admin receives an invite, they can choose to share it internally in their organization with other testers.

The new Mac Business client has other features for those in the corporate world, including the ability to see your meetings for today and tomorrow from your Exchange-powered Outlook Calendar, right in the Skype for Business app.

Users can also join in meetings with a click, use full-screen video, view content, share screens, and chat while in meetings, even invite others to join.

There’s also a “Meet Now” option in the Meetings menu for better spur-of-the-moment meeting. This feature aims to outrun the newly launched calling option from upstart competitor Slack, which started a way to launch conference calls in its app that others could also join with a click last month.

In the next Preview release arriving this summer, Microsoft will add instant messaging, presence, and the contacts list. The third release will introduce telephony features. Without these features, Skype for Business for Mac is not something I.T. will likely want to roll out company-wide at this point. Instead, the idea is to simply start testing the software for issues and help offer feedback on what’s working and what’s not.

The Mac app takes advantage of APIs from Mac OS X El Capitan, as stated by Microsoft. It also joins the mobile builds of Skype for Business, which came public on iOS and Android last year.