A Re-Branding: Introducing the #TeamsRecap

Well, I finally did it. The #Skype4BRecap has been officially renamed to the #TeamsRecap! As you can see from the image above, I have even embraced the purple.

Admittedly, I struggled with whether or not to do this, as Skype for Business Server 2019 is still slated for H2 2018, per the latest from Ignite, and Skype for Business Online will still be around for some time. However, I came to the realization that when it comes to Skype for Business Server 2019, a LOT can happen between now and the actual release. AND, there is very clear marketing message that Microsoft is pushing 150% with Teams. SO, I decided that with much of my future content probably shifting more and more toward Teams, this was likely the right move.

At any rate, the show is still the same for now: same me, same format, same hat, etc. Again, though, this is for now. I am mulling over changing up a couple things, maybe just a bit, but time will tell with those. In the meantime, I have the latest episode of the #TeamsRecap published to YouTube, and ready to watch! Get caught up on what's new with the Skype UG (HINT: International locations may be in our future!), and get a good recap of all the Teams news from Microsoft Ignite:

Don't forget to Re-Tweet or Share on LinkedIn if you enjoy the show, or find it helpful/amusing!

Josh

#Skype4BRecap - 02/03/2017 - MVP Changes, PSTN Calling in Spain, Tenant Dial Plans (Preview) Training

Two weeks in a row, the #Skype4BRecap has been published on time! Now I just need to keep up the momentum. This week was a big week for Skype for Business and other Microsoft UC community news, so please pardon the fast-speaking; I had a lot of good content to get out in a short period of time! Bigger topics include some major changes to the MVP Award program, General Availability (GA) of PSTN Calling in Spain, and some new video-based training of Tenant Dial Plans (Preview), but you can check out the full list of topics below. Enjoy the episode:

Topics

• MVP Award Program Changes Some unexpected changes to the MVP Award Program came down the pipe this week, including an announcement that New awards will be announced on a monthly basis, and re-awards will only happen once each year for everyone. This was good news for some happy new MVPs on February 1st! Check out all the details of the changes here: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/stevengu/2017/02/01/continuing-the-evolution-of-the-mvp-award/
• Tenant Dial Plans (Preview) Training The arrival of Tenant Dial Plans, in Preview, was announced a couple weeks back, but more content is starting to trickle out to the public, as is entry for some tenants into the Preview. Here is the latest training video on Skype for Business Online Cloud PBX Tenant Dial Plans: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Skype-Operations-Framework-Skype/Tenant-Dial-Plans-Preview-training/ba-p/43521
• PSTN Calling in Spain, GA PSTN Calling Preview was announced for Spain back at Microsoft Ignite in September of 2016, and it has finally been release to General Availability, following France. There are a number of cities with their local area codes available for PSTN Calling. Tom Arbuthnot put together a great blog post covering this release, along with the available cities, here: http://tomtalks.uk/2017/02/microsoft-pstn-calling-spain-carrier-services-generally-available-skype-business-online-cloud-pbx/
• WhoBot, in Teams Microsoft gave an update on the state of Microsoft Teams this last week, and in the process they announced a new Bot that will be making its way into the GA release of Teams: WhoBot. MVP Tom Morgan wrote a great post hypothesizing a bit about this new Bot: https://blog.thoughtstuff.co.uk/2017/01/microsoft-announced-they-will-launch-whobot-for-microsoft-teams-your-new-company-assistant/?utm_content=buffer5df9b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer. Also be sure to check out Microsoft's post about the state of Microsoft Teams as it inches closer to GA: https://blogs.office.com/2017/01/30/microsoft-teams-gains-steam/
• S4B Online CQD - Upload Building Info Template The ability to upload your Building information (subnets, descriptions, etc.) for advanced analytics in Skype for Business Online Call Quality Dashboard is pretty awesome, but doing so requires a specifically-formatted CSV file. Apparently the proper formatting can be a bit annoying to come by, so Martim Boam did us a favor and provided a free template for download from the TechNet Gallery: https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/lync/Skype-for-Business-Online-f28c57f7. You might also want to check out his blog post on using the template: https://ucmart.uk/2017/01/31/call-quality-dashboard-online-cqd-upload-building-information/
• New Skype Academy Training The team has been very busy with generating training for all the incredible changes that have been coming our way in the Skype for Business and Office 365 world. This last week they published a bunch of new training resources on a number of very relevant topics. Get your Learn On here: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Skype-Operations-Framework-Skype/Training-extravaganza-New-training-sessions-about-E5-workloads/ba-p/42682

If you would rather watch the episode at my YouTube channel instead of in the window above, check it out here: https://youtu.be/5lXp9iFnBfE

Stay Techy, My Friends!

#Skype4BRecap - 01/27/2017 - AudioCodes S4BO Certification, S4BSwitcher, Consultative Transfer

Finally, an episode that was published on time! The blog post may have been posted the following Monday, but at least the episode was published Friday morning for the first time in...months! It was quite a busy week to cover, and there were some really good things to take note of. Check out the Topics section below for a complete list of everything talking about:

Topics

• three65.live Rebranding If you are familiar with what used to be called "The Skype Show" in 2016, the host, Mark Vale, has rebranded the show to "three65.live" He will be shifting gears from a Microsoft UC focus to all areas within the Office 365 ecosystem, including Microsoft UC. First episode to come in March: http://www.three65.live/
• S4B Broadcast: Advanced Analytics Every two weeks the Skype for Business Product team graces us with another 30ish minute episode of their Skype for Business Broadcast series. This first link to this their episode on Friday, in which they discussed Advanced Analytics: https://t.co/mlDhdyHNmQ. This second link is to the YouTube playlist where all of there other episodes are available for viewing: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH5ElbTc1hWTvqa_CaVedTcqQQWQpdYmu
• AudioCodes IP Phone Certification for S4BO AudioCodes has achieved certification for some of their IP phones to be used in Skype for Business Online. This makes that playing field a bit more competitive, and is welcome news for many organizations that already deploy AudioCodes throughout: http://www.skypeadmin.com/2017/01/26/audiocodes-ip-phones-certified-skype-business-online/
• FREE App: S4BSwitcher Doug Routledge of Bridge OC has built a new Skype for Business profile-switching app for us, and provided it free of charge on the TechNet Gallery. Grab your download, take it for a spin, and be sure to leave some feedback and a rating: https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/S4BSwticher-Change-Skype-af12eaa8
• Consultative Transfer Confirmed Tom Arbuthnot had a post a couple weeks back about a possible new feature coming to the Skype for Business Windows client: Consultative Transfer. This was met with much fanfare, and Microsoft has since confirmed the upcoming feature. Read about it here: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Skype-Operations-Framework-Skype/Skype-for-Business-2016-on-Windows-Consultative-Transfer/ba-p/41122

If you would rather watch the episode at my YouTube channel instead of in the window above, check it out here: https://youtu.be/GABJ4tm53-I

Stay Techy, My Friends!

#Skype4BRecap - 01/20/2016 - Skype Operations Framework CQD, Avaya Bankruptcy, E911 Fix, January Training

While the episode was a few days late, there was still some really good topics to be covered. While much of the "newsy" attention was given to Avaya's Chapter 11 Bankruptcy filing, other great announcements like the launch of the Skype Operations Framework Quality User Experience module took center stage. For a complete listing of topics, see the section at the bottom. And of course, be sure to watch the episode below:

Topics

• SkypeUG User Group in Austin While there are many chapters under the SkypeUG umbrella that have set meeting dates for Q1, I am linking to my own chapter, the Austin chapter. If you are not already signed up, go for it! If you are in another city with its own chapter, register on that city's respective page. http://www.skypeug.com/events/austin-winter-2017/
• Partner Training for January The following link has a lot of resources for Partner training in the Skype for Business world. Most of the Sales and Technical instructor-led training classes are already past, but there are plenty of on-demand resources to take advantage of: https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/uspartner_learning/2016/12/19/skype-for-business-partner-training-schedule-winter-2017/
• Skype Operations Framework Quality User Experience A new SoF module was launched last week, and this one centers all around Quality, with a lot of training and focus on CQD: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Skype-Operations-Framework-Skype/SOF-Quality-User-Experience-Release-Launch-Jan-16th-2017/ba-p/39437
• Avaya Bankruptcy There have been all kinds of articles and blog posts on the topic of the Avaya Bankruptcy, but the following is a snippet with key details from fortune.com: http://fortune.com/2017/01/19/avaya-bankruptcy/
• Lync Server 2013 January CU: E911 Fix There were not huge amounts of things to focus on with January's Lync Server 2013 CU, but a fix to a troubling E911 issue that was introduced in the November 2016 CU was implemented. Just may be worth your time: https://ucmart.uk/2017/01/20/lync-server-2013-january-2017-cu-emergency-calls-fix/

If you would rather watch the episode at my YouTube channel instead of in the window above, check it out here: https://youtu.be/CdZisP0eHM0

Stay Techy, My Friends!

#Skype4BRecap - 01/13/2017 - MSUC.Chat on Jan 27, Cloud PBX PSTN Calling Dial Plans, Consult Transfer

The news of the week this week by far is the ability to create and configure Dial Plans, with EXTENSIONS, for Skype for Business Online, Cloud PBX, PSTN Calling users! However, that's not the only thing worth mentioning. Check out the video below, and don't forget about the links to the various topics discussed below that:

Topics

• MSUC.Chat on Jan. 27 The next MSUC.Chat meeting has been scheduled for the 27th of January! If you missed the first one, be sure to go sign-up now and get it on your calendar. Just register to get the meeting invite, and we'll see you there on Friday, the 27th! http://msuc.chat/index.php/2017/01/11/next-msuc-community-chat-friday-27th-january/
• Cloud PBX PSTN Calling Tenant Dial Plans This is HUGE news! I have had customers asking for custom dial plans and extension dialing in Skype for Business Online for many months, and it looks like that capability is finally making its way into S4BO: https://support.office.com/en-US/article/What-are-PSTN-Calling-dial-plans-2f0cfb59-1ca1-4e31-84ce-09d0b1a7ce1b?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US
• Consult Transfer button in the Windows Client For those of you that are fans of the Consult Transfer functionality, it looks like it may finally be making its way into the client. Check out Tom Arbuthnot's blog post for more info: http://tomtalks.uk/2017/01/consult-transfer-button-skype-business-office-2016-insider-fast-channel/
• Skype for Business 2015 (Lync 2013) Jan 3 Update There was a client update that went out on Jan 3rd, and a lot of little buggy behavior was fixed. Check out the update page to find out if that annoying bug that you have been dealing with is addressed: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3141468?sd=rss&spid=16924

If you would rather watch the episode at my YouTube channel instead of in the window above, check it out here: https://youtu.be/Rx2cmO6gjBg

Stay Techy, My Friends!

#Skype4BRecap - 01/08/17 - Q1 User Groups & Events, Skype for Business in the Volvo

This last week I finally got out my first #Skype4BRecap of 2017! It was also the first one after a very busy few weeks over the busy holiday season. Now that Christmas and New Year's are behind me, it is time to get back into the swing of weekly episodes, I would say!

Topics

• The Hat I'm in Florida, but The Hat is in Texas! Not to worry, MVP Greig Sheridan (MVP) tweeted that he was starting a Kickstarter campaign to re-unite me with The Hat. Stay tuned for the link (don't hold your breath, though ;-))
• User Groups & Events in Q1 Time to start out 2017 right, but getting involved in your local User Groups and other Microsoft UC-centered events.
• msuc.chat (Monthyly Virtual "open-mic" User Group): http://msuc.chat
• SkypeUG Q1 Meetings: http://www.skypeug.com/
• Skype for Business App in Volvo 90 Series This is an awesome new development, especially for those of you that are Volvo enthusiasts. Look for a possible demo at CES! https://mspoweruser.com/skype-for-business-coming-to-volvo-xc90-v90-and-s90-models/
• Matt Landis' (MVP) Thoughts on 2017 Matt wrote a great post on what things he sees getting big in 2017, and how to start shaping skillsets to match the trends. Check it out: http://windowspbx.blogspot.com/2017/01/skype-for-business-microsoft-teams-in.html

If you would rather watch the episode at my YouTube channel instead of in the window above, check it out here: https://youtu.be/tg_e6TX5lzM

Stay Techy, My Friends!

Skype for Business at Microsoft Ignite 2016 - All the Right Information

The Expo floor at Microsoft Ignite 2016 in Atlanta, GA

 

Catching up on Microsoft Ignite 2016...

You might think that fresh off the heels of my trip to Microsoft Ignite 2016 in Atlanta, my first post would be about all the Skype for Business news coming out of Ignite this year. However, there is already a lot of good info out there from very reputable people on the subject, so I don't want to continue beating a dead horse. Instead I want to point you to the spots where the good info already exists.

 For a really good recap of all the Skype for Business-related news from Ignite, check out Mark Vale's (brand new MVP, BTW, Congrats!!!) blog post detailing the various topics:

https://skype4b.uk/2016/09/29/skype-for-business-microsoft-ignite-what-you-need-to-know/

Also, MVP Matthew Landis always has a great collection of notes from these conferences:

http://windowspbx.blogspot.com/2016/09/matts-msignite-2016-skype-for-business.html

Now, if you want a REALLY good in-depth breakdown of the MAC news coming out of Ignite, check out Mr. John Cook's post (he is rumored to be an unashamed Apple fanboy):

https://johnacook.wordpress.com/2016/10/02/so-you-say-hate-the-lync-2011-mac-client/

Lastly, while I did not blog on the happenings at Ignite, I did interview Jamie Stark, Technical Product Manager of Skype for Business at Microsoft, and Matthew Landis of Landis Technologies. I also managed to get an Ignite-Edition of the #Skype4BRecap recorded on Thursday. Check out all that fun below:

Jamie Stark Ignite Interview:

Matt Landis Ignite Interview:

And the #Skype4BRecap Ignite Edition:

Finally, Tom Arbuthnot put together an amazing tool for downloading all the video content on the sessions that you could possibly want. Check out the tool, and be sure to leave some love in the comments for him http://tomtalks.uk/2016/10/skype-business-ignite-conference-videos-youtube-playlist-download/.

Stay Techy, My Friends!

A New Year, and A New Journey

I know this is severely belated, but Happy New Year, all! While this blog post serves as my inaugural 2016 blog post, it is more of a personal announcement post than a technical-awesomeness post.

A new year often brings new beginnings, or at least new sets of goals (that usually fall by the wayside after a week or two). For me, there is a little bit of both. I won't bore you with any goals of achieving washboard abs or learning to speak conversational French (I can just use Skype Translator, after all!), but I will highlight some employment news, and talk about my some Skype for Business community-related topics.

One Chapter Closes...

Tomorrow, Friday, the 22nd of January, is my last day as a "Racker". Yes, after nearly 4 years at Rackspace, I am moving on. As goes the cliche, it is very bittersweet. While I am very excited about the adventure that lies ahead of me in my new position, and the next step in my career, Rackspace has been a phenomenal company to work for. Racker's are truly like an extension of family (the good kind, lol), and the culture is the envy of many companies.

I would like to thank Rackspace, my fellow Rackers, and especially my incredible managers, for all the years of opportunity to be a part of something unique and amazing. Rackspace prides itself on its Fanatical Support, and I truly believe it has built a solid reputation around this principle in the hosting industry. I am proud to have been a part of that!

Another Chapter Begins

So, what's next? This Monday, January 25th, will be my first day as a Unified Communications Architect at Deloitte Services, LP. I could not be more excited and grateful for this opportunity, and am really looking forward to getting oriented, meeting my team, and digging into some awesome UC deployments! I believe this role will bring tremendous opportunity to grow my knowledge and skill sets, and to give me exposure to a plethora of new (to me) configurations that I have been eager to sink my teeth into.

As you can imagine, I have been busy winding things down at Rackspace, and getting all my ducks in a row for starting at Deloitte, and as a result this blog has been a little quiet over the last month (que the cricket noise). While I am sure that I will remain quite busy in the coming months as I get settled into my new role and start taking on various responsibilities and tasks, I will try to do better at keeping up with fresh content and how-to posts here.

What else is new?

So, aside from a new job, what else have I been up to?

#Skype4BRecap Episodes

While the blog has been fairly quiet, I have managed to keep up with my weekly #Skype4BRecap episodes. I have really begun to enjoy doing these episodes, and while viewership is not exactly in the "viral" category, I fully intend to keep these up. However, I may end up shifting recording to Thursday nights. As the show is not being done in a "live broadcast" format yet, this does not really impact much (unless big news gets delivered to the community first thing Friday morning!). If you have not see these, check them out on my YouTube channel, and don't forget to Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKUU9Qm3DxJepggtAaO3q3w

My eBook: Skype for Business Hybrid Handbook, Version 1.2

When I released my FREE eBook on December 1st last year, it was pretty well received, but there was some work to be done. Thanks to some awesome feedback from various individuals in the community, I was able to update a chapter on User Management with accurate information and more detailed procedures, including new screenshots. I also update the few other areas in the book to reflect current information (Office 365 changes A LOT!).

About a week ago I released a newly updated version of the book, Version 1.2. This version replaced the available download on the Technet Gallery. I was quite blown away by the level of support I got from the community on this follow-up release. You all Shared, Re-Tweeted, and "Liked" the heck out the links to the Download page, and as of right now, I am just under 2,000 downloads! THANK YOU ALL! I would like to give a special Thank You to Fabrizio Volpe, Office Servers and Services MVP, for your kind blog review of the book. 

If you are interested in the downloading a copy yourself, you can grab it FREE here: https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Skype-for-Business-Hybrid-9218205e.

To read Fabrizio's review, check out the post here: http://www.absoluteuc.org/reading-the-skype-for-business-server-2015-hybrid-handbook.

Something's Cooking in the Kitchen...

I am also working on a little something-something that I will be sharing soon, once I get the details figured out. About this initiative:

1. It will be video in nature
2. My hat will likely be present
3. And there will be relief from concentrated screen time on my ugly mug 

But that's all I'm saying for now! Stay tuned...

Stay techy, my friends!

#Skype4BRecap Episode 4 - Call Recording Pro, Cloud PBX E5, and MVP Summit

Happy Friday, everyone! This week, we jumped into a number of awesome topics. First, we started out with a shameless ask on my part for feedback on your experiences with Server-Side Conversation History with Android Lync 2013 app in a Skype for Business Server environment. From there, we dove into the MVP Summit in Seattle, Matthew Landis' announcement for the new Call Recording Pro, new details on the Cloud PBX E5 license that hits on December 1st, and the introduction of Number Porting to the Cloud PBX Preview.

You can check out the video for the rest, but I will briefly touch on the preliminary pricing details that have been making their way through the grape vine:

1. E5 is pegged at $35/month, currently.
• This includes PSTN Conferencing
• This includes Cloud PBX functionality
2. DID and national PSTN Calling functionality comes at an additional $12/month.
3. International PSTN Calling will be another $12/month.
4. For all Cloud PBX functionality (as mentioned above), the grand total for a user per month is $59.

Video Content Links

• Server-Side Conversation History: http://ucmart.uk/2015/06/15/skype-for-business-enable-server-side-conversation-history/
• Call Recording Pro (Thanks Matthew Landis!) http://attendantpro.blogspot.com/2015/10/call-recording-pro-for-skype-for.html
• Skype for Business Bandwidth Calculator: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=19011

Honorable Mentions 

• Todd Klindt (@ToddKlindt)
• Matt Landis (@matthewlandis)
• Martin Boam (@MartinBoam)
• Kevin Kieller (@kkieller)

**CORRECTION** A quick correction. I made the mistake off of a post that I must have half-read that SEFAUtil Done Right and Call Recording Pro were one and the same product. They are indeed separate products. Call Recording Pro was making a debut, while SEFAUtil Done Right is a codename for a project that is still in progress. I apologize, and will do a much better job of thoroughly researching topics that I speak about in the future. Matt was a stand up guy, and even re-tweeted my video post, without calling me out! Another great soul had pity on me, and showed me the error of my ways. Finishing up a Friday strong!

Stay techy, my friends!

#Skype4BRecap Commercial

Happy Monday, Campers!

I recorded a brief commercial for the Friday morning Podcast. BE WARNED - I tried using some intro music, and I think it is a bit loud, and needs some smoothing out before using it again. Just a heads up in case you were about to blair the video in an open office environment! Have a great week!

Stay techy, my friends!

Official Launch of My Weekly Podcast: #Skype4BRecap

#Skype4BRecap Is Live! (Sort of "Live")

Hey everyone! So, in addition to keeping up with the blog, I am launching a weekly podcast, simply named: #Skype4BRecap! Since #Skype4B is the popular hashtag on Twitter for all-things-Skype-for-Business, I decided to build on that with a single word that nicely summed up the premise of the podcast. 

So what is the premise?

Simply put, I want to have a fairly quick show, about 15 minutes ideally, but no longer than 30, that re-hashes through all the news and announcements in the Skype for Business and Microsoft UC community from the previous week. There is a LOT of information to consume on Twitter and LinkedIn, so I thought condensing it into some of the biggest highlights would be useful for a lot of us busy techs that just want to keep "in the know" while trying to keep our heads above water at work.

At any rate, this is definitely a work in progress, and I want to move toward a "live" format once I get my bandwidth constraints figured out. If you have helpful suggestions about how I could make the show more interesting, engaging, and relevant, I would LOVE your feedback. Be as brutal as you want, too; getting to the point allows for the fastest progress! At any rate, here it is. Looking forward to your feedback!

Stay techy, my friends!