Tag: skype

Skype Retires

Reporting from Austin, Texas at the Mediasite Experience User Conference.

November 1, 2019, campus will switch from Skype for Business to Teams, Microsoft’s all-in-one, collaboration and communication replacement for Skype.

Microsoft Teams boasts many more convenient messaging features, like

  • Individual chat. Message any of your contacts and pick up the conversation anytime, anywhere even if it was last week, last month or this morning.
  • Teams chat. Create a “channel” within a project team so everyone can trade ideas together.
  • Office app integration. See this Microsoft article for both desktop and mobile app features.
  • Share Files. Just like Skype, you can attach files to a chat.

Everything you need to communicate and collaborate – all in one platform. Microsoft has taken the best of Skype and added many new features.

On November 1, rather than the usual Skype for Business login, you’ll see this dialog box announcing that ECU has made the switch from Skype for Business to Teams.

Just click the Go to Teams button to make the switch on your computer.

Click here for more information!

New Year, New Stuff – Skype vs Webex

Not really new but a good explanation of two tools available to use for “meeting online”.

With both WebEx Cloud and Skype for Business available to ECU users, how do you pick the right online meeting solution? Both tools share collaboration tools, audio and video options, scheduling through Outlook and a “Meet Now” feature.

Skype:

Skype is part of the Office 365 download and is available to students, faculty and staff. It is currently ECU’s standard for instant messaging and desktop sharing. It is used to determine another user’s “presence” through Outlook – not available (red), green (available), yellow (away from the computer).

Skype is an excellent choice for desktop sharing and is approved to discuss FERPA information – while holding online office hours, for example. But, Skype is NOT approved for HIPAA discussion. See these security considerations.

WebEx Cloud:

Faculty and staff log in to their virtual online room to create and schedule meetings. WebEx is browser based, and the virtual online meeting URL is specific to a user’s PirateID and never changes (ecu.webex.com/join/your-pirateID). This makes it easy for staff, students and non-ECU to join meetings from a Mac, PC, telephone or Android, Windows or iOS mobile device. Note: If your WebEx meeting will involve PHI (Protected Health Information), you are not permitted to record the meeting.

Visit the video and web conferencing website for more information.

Keeping in Touch

During summer sessions many students are embarking on clinical internships and/or faculty may be traveling.  ECU offers a number of ways to stay in touch synchronously such as Saba Meeting, Skype for Business (you can share screens), Cisco WebEx, Cisco Jabber and Dedicated Hardware.  To find out what each can do click here.  Want to try it out just contact OET for a demo or trial run.  Don’t let distance keep you apart!