Office 365: Need to have a quick chat with colleagues or hold a phone conference with others?

Do you find it difficult to hold a group conversation with people from different locations, or are you looking for an easier way to communicate that doesn't require text messaging or use of a mobile app?

As part of each of our Microsoft Office Education package, all staff members have access to Skype for Business.

This powerful application that launches when you start your computer is your gateway to easier, more informal communication with your peers, as well as with others outside of the university (including students should you wish to).

Monitored in the same way as our other IT/Communication systems, this tool allows you to drop a quick chat message, or run a web-based telephone chat with others, via just a few clicks of your mouse!

If you want to have a conference meeting (via an internet-based phone connection – all parties need a computer with a microphone and speakers), you can…

• Open Outlook
• Set up a meeting as you would usually in your Calendar
• Then before saving/sending the calendar invite, select the Skype Meeting button
• A skype for business conference link and details is added to the bottom of the calendar invitation message and when selected will launch you and others straight into your conference (even if they don’t have skype for business on their machines)

Note: if the Skype Meeting button is not present:

1. Open Outlook.
2. On the File menu, click Options.
3. In the navigation pane, click Add-Ins.
4. On the Manage menu, select COM Add-Ins, and then click Go.
5. In the COM Add-Ins dialogue box, select the Skype Meeting Add-in for Microsoft Office 2016 option, and then click OK.

If you want to have a quick chat with a colleague, you can….

• Open Skype for Business
• Click in the Find Someone field (top of the window)
• Type your contacts name (if Murdoch staff or email address if someone external)
• Then double-click their name from the search results to launch a chat window
• Then get chatting in the text field at the bottom of the window (you can add images and attach files!)

More information on how to get the most out of your Skype For Business is located here (including how to set your presence, i.e. what people can see about you!)

Some quick help links:

• Change my presence (what people can see) in Skype for Business
• Running a Skype for Business Meeting/Conference
• Start chatting with others via Skype for Business

If you would like to receive regular updates on the Office 365 applications available at Murdoch, please click here.