Microsoft Skype for Business The Next generation of LYNC IM Community OCIO - Operations & Security September 27, 2017
Agenda Past Present Capabilities Statistics Use Cases Challenges Future Skype for Business IM/IP Using Skype for Business Questions 2
Past LYNC pilot conducted during 2012 ~500 users Utilized Microsoft LYNC 2010 services in the Cloud to learn about solution Cloud option has cost per Standard user and per Enterprise user Enterprise LYNC service rolled out to GNL spring of 2013 On-premises infrastructure and licensing (most economical) Up to date Operating System (Server 2008 R2) Up to date application version (LYNC 2010) Standard User license included with GNL MS Licenses Enterprise User license available at additional cost 3
Present (capabilities) Standard User capabilities Initiate Instant Messaging (IM/Chat) between two internal * users Initiate Audio/Video (AV) sessions between two internal users Participate only in IM or AV sessions with more than 2 users initiated by an Enterprise User Standard User license was included with GNL MS Licenses * Internal users are GNL staff and/or federated partners 4
Present (capabilities) Enterprise User capabilities Same feature set as a Standard User plus. Communications sessions can be extended to include external * users Initiate IM/Chat, Audio/Video sessions with more than 2 users Options for White Boarding, Presentation and Application Sharing Option to record session License is an additional cost Requires approval from departmental LYNC coordinator * External users include citizens, non-gnl and/or non-federated organizations 5
Present (statistics) LYNC Usage Statistics since deployment in spring 2013 LYNC User Usage 5000 4500 4000 3500 3000 2700 3084 3559 3500 3983 4084 4075 4394 2500 2000 1500 1000 969 1178 1410 1389 1703 1774 1579 2040 500 0 Mar 14 Sep 14 Mar 15 Sep 15 Mar 16 Sep 16 Dec 16 Mar 17 Average # of Daily Users # of Monthly Users 6
Present (statistics) Usage statistics from February 2014 to present More than 7.5 million IM/Chat sessions Helps reduce email usage and storage (Potentially 15M+ emails) Better Information Management More than 42,000 * hours of multi-user Audio/Video (AV) sessions/conferences Most likely meetings, collaboration, training and everyday work Helps reduce travel and expenditures Improves productivity Possibly help reduce long distance calls *42,000 hours equates to ~21.5 work years More than 75,000 hours of user to user Audio/Video (AV) sessions Training, mentoring, case review and day to day work Possibly help reduce long distance calls 7
Present (use cases) GNL Host with GNL User Fully Supported Generally no issues except in remote areas with limited bandwidth GNL Host with External User Fully Supported External User downloads & installs web browser Attendee Client Worked well initially however recently issues have been experienced on the external user side such as: Limited bandwidth in remote areas Inability to install the web Attendee Client Corporate or personal security firewall restrictions User/organization inability to install unauthorized software End-user computer compatibility and/or performance issues 8
Present (use cases) GNL Host & External User with LYNC Supported only where a Federation* has been implemented The GNL security firewall configuration prohibits random inbound communication on high ports Best practice guideline Many other corporate organizations are configured the same Requires a special Federation* agreement to be implemented between both organizations/entities GNL Host with Public Skype User Not supported * Federation is a technical configuration between LYNC organizations to allow LYNC interoperability 9
Present (challenges) 4 years since we first piloted LYNC in GNL LYNC 2010 application is now 7 years old Still fully supported, however extended support ends October 2020 Microsoft acquired consumer product Skype Integrations between LYNC and Skype in 2013 and 2014 Releases of new versions since we initially deployed LYNC 2013, Skype for Business 2015 Significant change in available end-user computing technology Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 Surge in Mobile Device and Tablet computing Rapid technology change impacting LYNC 2010 functionality Things that worked in 2012 were now encountering intermittent and/or persistent issues 10
Future Upgrading to Skype for Business Design and Build (February - March 2017) Backend configuration and implementation (April 2017) Pilot (July August 2017) Expected delivery to all GNL (September 2017) Right sized and scalable Direct engagement with Microsoft Most current application available Better alignment with external users and organizations Richer feature set Continuation of enterprise grade service Compatibility issues addressed Vendor suggested improvements for external service quality 14
Future Same great tool with new and improved features Visual enhancements for user interface Missed Conversations See what came in when you were away Desktop and program sharing preview Know exactly what participants will see before you start presenting Improved external collaboration Ability to connect with Consumer Skype users (citizen at home) Sessions with external Skype users should be more reliable Improved screen sharing performance technology Improved support for mobile devices Ability to preload meeting attachments 15
Information Protection - Using Skype for Business The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) provides Skype for Business as a service to Government users. Skype for Business is an instant messaging and conferencing tool that allows users to communicate and interactively collaborate with others using their computers from any location around the world. There are several factors the end user must keep in mind when using Skype for Business to ensure the protection of government information being shared via this service. The purpose of this document is to identify information protection risks and offer guidance on how to address them when using Skype for Business. IM FYI on Skype for Business To view this FYI, please visit the OCIO Help Site. 17
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