First tweet i read this morning from Randy Chapman was the news that i think all Mac users have been waiting a long time for. There is a Skype for Business Mac Client!!!! Thanks Randy for the heads up as always. I had a mac for a years but i don’t use it alot to be honest im mainly a windows fan and use my mac once in a while. Thought spent i little time collecting some information into a blog post on the mac client and sharing my install of the client and a quick look around.
![Mac screen capture Mac screen capture](https://www.uc.solutions/@api/deki/files/748/reso2.png?revision=1)
Based on my test, the user can see the desktop sharing when he click the Skype for Business meeting url in Outlook or just double click the event in Skype for Business client. So, here are some information I need to collect for troubleshooting: 1. The detailed version number of your Skype for Business for Mac and OS.
Also Iain Smith (MVP) talks about the Mac client in the Skype show episode 10 Microsoft client Download link Points to Note before you download the client. System requirements for your MAC to use Skype for Business • OSX 10.11 (El Capitan) or OSX 10.12 (Sierra) • Outlook Mac build 15.27 (161010) required for Outlook integration Office 365 and Lync / Skype for Business Server topology Microsoft are recommending to get the latest and greatest to move to Skype for Business Online but that not an option for everyone. For on premise bad boys Looks like there will be new CUs for SfB Server and Lync Server to remove requirement for mobility to be deployed and also to support E911.
• Skype for Business Server 2015 or Lync Server 2013 • Skype for Business Server 2015 customers should at a minimum download and install the Skype for Business Server 2015 Cumulative Update version 9319.272 or higher (coming soon) • Lync Server 2013 Cumulative Update version 8308.973 or higher (coming soon) • Unfortunately Lync 2010 Server – Lync Server 2010 is not supported – There users will have continue to use the Lync for Mac 2011 client. Mobility Requirement and Enablement The Mac client works like a mobile client so you need mobility enabled but I also noticed the below so it looks like there will be a number CU released soon for SfB server and Lync Server which allows the Mac client to work without mobility being enabled. This is a major dependency. • E-911 support requires Skype for Business Server 2015 CU4 (build 9319.272 or higher, coming soon) or Lync Server 2013 CU8 HF1 (build 8309.973 or higher, coming soon).
• Without Skype for Business Server 2015 CU4 (build 9319.272 or higher, coming soon) or Lync Server 2013 CU8 HF1 (build 8309.973 or higher, coming soon), Skype for Business on Mac requires Mobility enablement on the server side. After updating to builds 9317.272 or 8309.973, Mobility enablement will no longer be required.
Licence Considerations for SfB Mac Client courtesy of Lync Dude Features and Functionality The Mac client still doesn’t have the same level of features as the Windows based client unfortunately. This i can only see being worked on on future releases. I think Mac users will be very happy to have a new client but still feel they are a little behind with feature set.
Share • LinkedIn • Facebook • Twitter 3 There are several advantages for using Skype for Business for instant messaging, video conferencing, audio conferencing, and screen sharing with other team members within your organization. You can also use Skype for Business to communicate with external users that are not part of your company’s network. Depending on various factors, external users may have problems joining the Skype for Business meeting, or they may not have a Skype for Business client installed on their computer. I won’t list all the possible scenarios in this article that may cause problems, instead I will focus on the solution for a common scenario.
![Mac Mac](https://3nlm2c1gjj0z2ju16293909h-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/skype-business-mac-skype-meetings-mac-1024x620.jpg)
There are multiple versions of Skype and there are just too many possible scenarios where users may have issues joining a meeting. If you want to know more about different Skype for Business clients, check out my article. Things can especially get confusing for people who are trying to join your meeting and have a version of Skype for Business installed but they are not part of your company. This is due to the fact that they are part of a non-federated domain and are trying to join a meeting in your domain as an authenticated user. When the Skype for Business client is installed on a computer it will automatically attempt to join using the full Skype for Business client, rather than Skype for Business Web App. In some cases the individual on the other end (the external user) may not have Skype for Business installed and they are unclear as to which client they should install.