Skype for Business rollout

IT is streamlining ACU’s meeting tools to a single platform - Skype for Business - to provide a seamless video, instant messaging and teleconferencing experience.

IT is working to provide staff with an improved digital work space experience across all devices through the Unified Communication and Collaboration (UCC) Project. This project is being undertaken because ACU currently has a range of collaboration tools with multiple vendors. This infrastructure is aging and reaching full capacity, and ACU needs to improve the interconnectivity between systems by taking a streamlined approach.

For this reason, Skype for Business will become ACU’s preferred meeting tool, as it provides interconnectivity between desktop devices, mobile and Microsoft Office 365 collaborative tools.

All staff are encouraged to use Skype for Business. Polycom Realpresence client will be phased out eventually. During this transition period Polycom is still available to use.

How this will help you

Skype for Business lets you connect with anyone through instant messaging, meetings (video and audio), check staff availability (presence) and share content and is an all-in-one application that works with Office 365.

Skype for Business is easy to use, you can schedule a meeting in Outlook. With just one-click you can begin video/teleconferencing from any internet connected device in any location.

Benefits

• Flexibility to join a meeting from any device, anytime and from anywhere
• Meetings can easily be conducted from remote and dispersed locations for both internal and external users
• Improved meeting experiences
• Saves you time—you can quickly connect to your colleagues and share content, no time wasted trying to connect to colleagues through clunky, disparate communications systems
• Reduced travel costs.

Desktop rollout is coming

Across the University many staff are using different desktop versions of Lync and Skype for Business applications. To move staff to use this new platform, IT is standardising Skype for Business/Lync desktop software by upgrading all staff to Skype for Business 2016 in early June.

The UCC project will unify these applications and other systems with our latest collaboration tools/software within our Microsoft Office 365 cloud environment.

How do I use Skype for Business?

IT will soon release user guides to help you learn Skype for Business 2016, along with a how-to video and training sessions.

What’s next?

In the coming months IT will be upgrading all staff to Office 2016 and Windows 10.

IT is also working on a long-term solution to integrate ACU’s Web Room Booker with the Microsoft Outlook to enable you to book meetings and rooms in the one place.

Contact

If you have a question or want more information, please:

• Email UCC@acu.edu.au
• Call VladoSelemba, Senior IT Project Manager on 03 9230 8384 or Carolyn Petrovic, ITCommunication and Change Coordinator on 03 9953 3599.