Both large and small businesses are shifting their focus away from conventional means of communication, to unified communication (UC) technology due to lower cost and access to a variety of services. This is why more and more companies are now switching to Skype for Business.

Although, it provides the basic controls with some new applications, you can get additional services from its partners. For example, you can choose to integrate VoIP into Skype for Business Office 365 that will enable you to have PSTN voice with following features:

Emergency call service

Conference call

Call parking

Forwarding a call feature

Voicemail, and

Local/private lines with a dial tone.

By having a VoIP integrated with Skype for Business, you won’t be chained to your office table. Instead, it allows you to transfer and take calls via mobile devices and laptop.

Here are the key Skype for Business tricks and tips to get the best experience and enhanced productivity.

With Skype for Business, you can set up a meeting with Outlook. Integrate Skype for Business with Outlook plugin and set up a meeting with a single click. In addition to that, you can also do it through web scheduler that allows you to send an invitation, delete a meeting, change the meeting details, or get a meeting overview. It also lets you have a video call in HD with six participants at the same time. Your colleagues or meeting participants can join a meeting with a single click.

There is a recording feature that allows you to record an entire, or any aspect of it. For example, you can record the instant messaging, videos, audios, whiteboards, handouts, and a lot more. Select the resolution in the recording section and you are ready!

For effective and speedy communication, you can use a number of Skype for Business keyboard shortcuts. For example, it has Ctrl+Alt+S for screen sharing, Alt+Q for ending a call, Ctrl+Shift+H for putting a call on hold, Window Key+Esc to reject an invitation and Window Key+Shift+O for accepting it.

There are a lot of other short-keys embedded in it for ease of use, especially when you are in a business meeting.

Skype for Business allows you to categorize your contacts into 5 different groups, i.e., blocked contacts, workgroup, friends and family, external contacts, and colleagues. The last two categories are set by default. Simply right-click on the contact name and go to change privacy relationship where you can assign any category to the contact.

Whiteboard is yet another amazing feature of Skype for Business that allows you to draw a diagram to present your point of view. You can also conduct a poll to ask a question or take a suggestion during a meeting. It will help you communicate better with the meeting attendees and keep them engaged. There is also a Q&A section that can be used at the end of a meeting for questions and answers session.

If you want to give a PowerPoint presentation, simply share your it in a meeting. This is useful, especially if you are not comfortable with sharing your screen. Instead of sharing the whole screen, just share the presentation. In fact, Skype for Business enables you to share other documents as well.

Choose a presentation you want to share, select Present Online and click on Skype for Business. You can either initiate a new meeting or share the presentation in the current meeting.

This is one of the most amazing features that allows you to attend your meetings on the go. It is possible that in the middle of an online meeting, you get a call to be somewhere important. This feature allows you to transfer your meeting to your mobile phone where you can resume the rest of your session without any interruption.

Simply go to setting, options, and then select mobile phones in the phone section. After adding your region code and mobile number, you can transfer the call to your mobile device by clicking Call Control.

However, make sure that you mute your microphone when you are not speaking to enhance the overall meeting experience. Also, use a good quality device for better execution.