Skype for Business Beta

We had some problems connecting with Skype for Business if there is a proxy.pac configured. Maybe you have the same problem.

If the client connects from the internet for the first time and there is a proxy.pac file configured in the network proxy settings, the connection fails in our case. After removing the proxy.pac configuration Skype for Business connects correctly. The problem does not occur if Skype for Business initially connects from the internal network.

According to Microsoft this is a known issue and should be fixed in the next version.

I'm seeing the same issue as @skeb1ns. I have the Skype for Business v.16.0.1839. Can't connect with or without the .pac file in the network proxy settings. I've requested our lync team to check if some thing has to be added on the Lync 2013 servers to recognize this new client and allow it to connect. Here's a known issues page for Skype for Business for Mac https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Known-Issues-Skype-for-Business-for-Mac-Preview-494ac5d5-50be-4aa7-8f5a-669c71c98c9a?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US

I'm running it here, connected to the M$ cloud servers for our corporation, and it's missing key features that make it nearly useless to test, such as being able to IM someone while not in a meeting (it works if you're in a meeting).

So I need to keep Lync 2011 open and this "beta" in order to provide the fundemental functionality.

Honestly, I wouldn't spend much effort getting it sorted, at least until there are some real features to test.

For those who aren't actively testing, it looks like IM capability has been added to the latest release of SfB (16.0.2346). Still no tabbed conversation, but it's working pretty well.

I find that it works very well. I've only had a couple of real issues so far. Most of it functionality that was being added in a later release.

I'm still trying to figure out how to get into the beta... can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

@Todrick You have to sign up here: https://www.skypepreview.com

I'm not sure if it is still open, I've had it for a while now. You'll need to decide if you want to sign up as an organization or an individual(simpler) and need a MS account. Once you are registered you'll see a few Skype Beta products in that portal, just choose the Mac one. It took over a month to actually get my invite after signing up, but it could be quick now or disabled entirely, I don't know.

Ahh ok. I submitted my information correctly than. Been waiting almost a month myself. Thanks for the help! :)

Any news on the release date of the final version?

It's pretty quiet lately and the latest blog post about Skype for Mac (https://blogs.office.com) dates back to the 5th of July.

I'm using using the most recent Beta Build (16.0.3036) and I have to say that it runs pretty smooth. I already ditched the ancient Lync 2011 client :D.

bump :D

I'm definitely not having a smooth experience. The past two builds have almost completely broken IMs - conversations that I start never reach parties on SfB for Windows or Lync for Mac, and when they send me messages I usually receive them (but they also see "An error occurred" on their end). Two of us with the SfB preview have tried sending each other messages but both of our clients crashed.

That coupled with "We can't connect to Exchange" appearing every 20-30 seconds has convinced me to go back to Lync until they figure out what they're doing with SfB.

On the plus side, 7 builds in and they finally got the meeting functionality to work properly.

It seems the consensus here is that it works pretty well for online meetings, but the chat functionality is just straight up horrible. Endless "an error occurred" messages when chatting, no way to really know if your message went through, etc.. Our users are on Lync 14.4.1, with only a few IT folks on SfB. I hope they get this sorted out, but am not holding my breath...

My Understanding of the that error @dgreening is that the beta is using the mobile loopback so its actually going outside your environment then looping in again this is whats causing that error. They say it will be fixed in the final release....

ok so it's not just me that's getting these "We couldn't send this message" errors. I wasn't ruling out our environment, our lync/exchange admins are not particularly forthcoming about how things are configured. Glad (I guess) to see that the problem is more widespread.

FYI, last week a GA build was released for SfB beta testers, but it's a completely separate installer - check with your SfB admin to get the installer if you don't already have it - the older beta will not auto update to the GA release.

Still missing some pretty big stuff IMHO, like file transfers and screen sharing... They got rid of fisher price blue though!

We are running 16.0.3597 (I believe is the latest release). Filesharing missing is a big X right now. The new UI look is very pleasing but it doesn't do much good with these consistent "we couldn't send this message" errors.

@mbezzo whats the version number on that latest release?

Hi @mrice,
It's 16.0.3597 (thanks to @Kaltsas for posting it)

Thanks. Annoying that it's not coming through MAU.

I believe 16.0.3597 is the first release to support MAU, future updates should come down through MAU.

No, previous releases did support MAU too. I've updated a couple of times through MAU already.

Skype for Business (16.0.0.3638) is now live:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=54108

ok so it's not just me that's getting these "We couldn't send this message" errors.

They say it will be fixed in the final release....

Hello. I am from the future. I am running version 16.2.156. It is still not fixed. Constantly get these error messages. I downgraded back to Lync because they were so bad. We call it Skype BM at my place because it runs so poorly.