Today, Lifesize®, a global innovator of video conferencing technology, announced it has enhanced its Skype for Business interoperability to simplify cross-platform audio, video and web conferencing, and extend the Skype for Business environment to the conference room with award-winning Lifesize HD camera and phone systems. With this unique interoperability, Lifesize is the only solution to date that enables users to make and receive direct calls to and from Skype for Business for one-on-one or group calls.
Microsoft Office 365 and its communication application, Skype for Business, is a cornerstone for modern businesses, with more than 100 million people using Skype for Business worldwide. Yet, despite the popularity and regular use of Skype for Business, seamless integration between video conferencing solutions and Skype for Business remains limited. Far too often, workers get stuck in this type of situation.
A product development team of four individuals gather in a small conference room in Austin. They connect via video conference to three marketing team members in San Francisco. A few minutes into the discussion, they realise they need input from a contractor based in London. They reach for their speakerphone to make the call, but stop – the contractor only uses Skype for Business and their system cannot call her. Now what?
Meetings should not be interrupted or lack video quality because of interoperability limitations, which is why Lifesize is dedicated to delivering the most user-friendly and complete video communication experience for organisations regularly collaborating with Skype for Business users. Designed to complement the Skype for Business environment, Lifesize fits into the existing Skype for Business workflow by allowing Lifesize users to place direct calls to Skype for Business users, add them to existing calls, and send and receive screen sharing.
The integration also allows organisations to bring a Skype for Business presence into the conference room with the Lifesize plug-and-play video conference room system, which gives users the option to connect to any third-party conference room system. With this comprehensive package of unmatched quality, ease of use, flexibility and interoperability, IT administrators don’t need to worry about risking their investment with “lock-in” products for the conference room. In fact, Lifesize now helps IT admins further extend the value of their Skype for Business deployment and investment.
“Skype for Business and other such applications allow organisations to standardise on collaboration workflows,” said Craig Malloy, CEO at Lifesize. “For users in those organisations, the best conferencing solution should complement the way they work, not hinder it. The interoperability Lifesize offers extends far past any solution on the market, providing the simplest, most effective collaboration experience between Lifesize, Skype for Business and third-party vendors.”
Lifesize enhances the Skype for Business environment with:
- A superior conference room experience: Users can place and receive direct calls from a Lifesize HD camera and phone system within the conference room to a Skype for Business user at his or her desktop PC. Users can also leverage a Lifesize virtual meeting room to connect third-party conference room systems to Skype for Business or Lifesize users.
- Bi-directional calling with Skype for Business: Those using the Lifesize cloud-based application can place direct calls to Skype for Business users and/or add them to an existing call. Skype for Business users can also place direct calls to Lifesize app users, conference room systems or virtual meeting rooms.
- Bi-directional screen share with Skype for Business: Skype for Business users can send and receive real-time screen sharing in a call with a Lifesize app user, conference room system or virtual meeting room.
- Broader reach: Skype for Business users can extend their call capability with the Lifesize cloud-based application, which allows up to 50-way calling, audio dial-in numbers in more than 60 countries, the ability to view more participants on screen, and the option to bring in callers from outside of the organisation
The Lifesize Skype for Business interoperability is supported on Skype for Business Server or Skype for Business Online through Microsoft Office 365.