Using Skype for Business / Lync clients with Pexip Infinity

This guide helps you to understand how you can use a Microsoft Skype for Business / Lync client within a Pexip Infinity deployment. It explains how to make a call from Skype for Business / Lync to a Pexip Infinity VMR, and how to make a call from Skype for Business / Lync to other non-Skype for Business / Lync users.

Making a video call to a Pexip Virtual Meeting Room (VMR)

You can make a video call from Skype for Business / Lync to any Pexip Virtual Meeting Room (VMR).

Calling the VMR

You can make a video call to a VMR in exactly the same way as you would make a video call to any other Skype for Business / Lync user, initially either by typing in the address of the VMR or by selecting an existing VMR from your list of contacts, for example meet.alice@example.com which in this case has a name of "Alice's meeting room":

  • If the VMR name is correct, the contact's presence should show as Available. By default, the picture (avatar) used to represent the VMR contact will be the Pexip logo, as shown above. However, the VMR may have been set up to use a different image (potentially a different image for each VMR).

    A VMR presence of Available means that you can make a video call to that VMR. It does not necessarily mean that other participants are currently in that VMR, so when the VMR answers, you may be the only participant.

    If the presence status is not Available, e.g. it displays as Presence unknown, you should check that you have entered the VMR address correctly.

  • Your administrator may have configured the VMR to automatically call other participants, whenever the first participant calls into that VMR. In which case you may initially be the only participant, but other participants may join shortly.

  • If the VMR is PIN-protected, you can use the Skype for Business / Lync dial pad or keyboard to enter the conference PIN.

    Alternatively, to bypass the PIN entry stage, you can include the PIN as part of the contact address in the format: <vmr_alias>**<PIN>@<domain>. For example, if the alias of the Virtual Meeting Room is meet.alice@example.com and the PIN is 1234, then the address would be meet.alice**1234@example.com.

  • Some conferences may not start until the conference Host has joined. In this case, you will see a holding screen. If you are the conference Host, you should enter the Host PIN.

Making an audio-only call

You can make an audio-only call to a Pexip VMR in exactly the same way as you would make any other audio-only call to a Skype for Business / Lync user.

You will be connected to the VMR and the participants in the VMR will only receive your audio. Depending upon how your administrator has configured your system, you will either receive video and audio from the VMR (assuming it has video participants), or just receive audio and an avatar image of the conference. In either case, you can escalate your call from audio-only to video in the normal way by starting your video, if required.

Calling out to other (non-Skype for Business / Lync) endpoints

You can make video calls to other non-Skype for Business / Lync endpoints such as SIP and H.323 devices, providing your administrator has configured the Pexip Distributed Gateway to allow such calls.

As with making a video call to a Pexip VMR, you can just dial the address of the endpoint, or first add the video address of the other (non-Skype for Business / Lync) endpoint to your Contact List before calling it.

As with VMRs, if the address is valid, the contact's presence should show as Available. By default, the picture (avatar) used to represent the contact is the Pexip logo, as shown below. However, the administrator may have configured the system to use a different image.

A presence of Available means that the Pexip Distributed Gateway recognizes the endpoint address and knows how to contact the endpoint. It does not necessarily mean that the endpoint itself is registered/signed in and is available to be called.

If the presence status is not Available, e.g. it displays as Presence unknown, you should first check that you have entered the endpoint address correctly, and then check that your administrator has enabled direct calling to that address.

Calling an endpoint or VMR from within an existing Skype for Business / Lync video call or conference

You can add an endpoint to a current (in progress) Skype for Business / Lync video call or video conference. You do this in the same way as you would add any of your other contacts into a current call, such as by dragging and dropping the endpoint from your Contact List into your call.

Screen and program sharing

Screen and program sharing with Pexip VMRs and other endpoints works in the same way as when sharing between Skype for Business / Lync users.

Sharing your screen, program or PowerPoint files with VMR participants or other endpoints

If you are in a video call with a VMR or in a video call or conference with other endpoints, you can share your desktop, a specific program or PowerPoint files in the same way as you normally would with other Skype for Business / Lync participants.

Viewing shared content from other endpoints

If the external endpoint or a VMR participant starts content sharing, you will be invited to view the content in the standard manner. The content is shown in the main window and the active speaker from the VMR or the other endpoint participant is shown in a compact window.

When a participant in the VMR is sharing content, the SfB/Lync presentation tab will always indicate that "<VMR contact name> is presenting" regardless of which of the VMR participants is sharing their screen.

Instant messaging with VMR participants or with other endpoints

Skype for Business / Lync users can send and receive instant messaging (IM) when they are connected to a Pexip VMR, or when in a direct person-to-person call with another non-Skype for Business / Lync client providing that chat is supported by that client device (such as Pexip's own Infinity Connect web, mobile and desktop clients). Note that standard video conference system users will not see chat messages.

When connected to a VMR, all Skype for Business / Lync users will see the content of any Skype for Business / Lync instant messaging (IM) conversations as usual. All messages from VMR participants are seen as coming from the VMR participant (e.g. meet.alice) but each individual message from the VMR is prefixed with that VMR participant's own display name e.g. "bob: hello".

Calling out to a Skype for Business / Lync user from within a Pexip conference

Note that as well as calling out to Pexip VMRs and other endpoints from within a Skype for Business / Lync video call, Skype for Business / Lync users can also be called from a VMR or other endpoint.

When a VMR or other endpoint calls your Skype for Business / Lync address, an alert pops up on your screen in the same manner as when another Skype for Business / Lync user calls you.