Workspace Blog

An Exciting Keynote for Skype at Enterprise Connect and News with Citrix

I'm David Gurlé, vice president and general manager of Skype Enterprise. Today, I'm here at Enterprise Connect 2011 in Orlando, Florida, and I've just finished my keynote address about Skype's game-changing role in doing business, as well as the changing landscape of the enterprise communications ecosystem.

What it comes down to is this. Technology is changing the way we do business. Employees are bringing their own technology into the workplace, mobility is creating a lot more flexibility than ever to be wherever you want to be to get work done, and the advent of cloud-based computing is also breaking down barriers and enabling people to communicate, access information, and be more productive in new and powerful ways. This is the new way of doing things in business.

Skype is helping to lead this shift in the workplace as more and more people are using and adopting Skype for business purposes. Business is about 'doing' and 'doing' is about collaboration, and that is what Skype is all about. Skype creates connected ecosystems of colleagues, clients, vendors, and partners. We help you overcome the traditional barriers of communication and allow you to access your network of the important people you have real relationships with to get work done.

These are some of the important points I made today at Enterprise Connect, which is an exciting place to be. Skype Enterprise has made some big strides forward over the last year in expanding its enterprise offering. In May 2010, we rolled out Skype Manager, a Web-based management tool that helps businesses harness the power of Skype in an enterprise. At the end of August 2010, we rolled Skype Connect 1.0 out of beta to enable IP-PBX or UC-based systems to connect to Skype. We announced a strategic partnership with Avaya in September 2010. And, most recently, in January 2011, we launched a new Skype Business client for Windows with Group Video Calling.

Today at Enterprise Connect, we took another big step forward by announcing a strategic partnership with Citrix, a global leader in virtual computing and Web collaboration and the provider of one of the most popular, easy-to-use Web conferencing solutions on the market today. We think our business customers will be excited about this because it means toward the end of this year, we will be adding Citrix's GoToMeeting capabilities to the Skype Enterprise desktop experience. This will further enhance Skype's collaboration solutions with a variety of new Web conferencing and audio features.

Already, Skype users can experience high-quality and cost-effective instant messaging, voice and video calling, group video calling, file sharing and more. The addition of GoToMeeting capabilities will allow Skype's business users to quickly set up online meetings with an audio conferencing bridge that enables users to join via Skype or through public switched telephone network (PSTN) phone numbers.

Joining me to talk about this announcement today - Brett Caine, senior vice president and general manager of Citrix's Online Services Division. Check out this video of us sharing the news:

We know you couldn't agree more that adding these features to Skype for setting up and joining meetings will be a welcome addition. We are now working on bringing you the most advanced enterprise collaboration tool ever and we can't wait to share further details with you about the product and its commercial release in the next few months. So, stay tuned.

Skype Access and Worksnug Pro - Must-Have Tools

Skype Access and Worksnug Pro For Mobile Travelers -
Must-Have Tools for the Seasoned Road Warrior

by Terry L. Brock

Business travelers can relate to the problems of getting access to the Internet when on the road. If you're in a city or airport where you need fast access to the Net, it can be a traumatic experience.

I recently had a chance to talk with Shadi Mahassel who oversees Skype Access and he told me about a couple of new developments that Skype has for business travelers to make life on the road much more tolerable.

Skype is expanding its partnership with Wi-Fi providers around the world to help business travelers use their Skype credits for Internet Access. The service, Skype Access, allows Skype users to find an authorized Skype partner who provides Wi-Fi in over 1/2 million hubspots around the world.

This means that you can go into a certified Skype provider and get access to the Net quickly by using your Skype credits, often at a lower cost than through other means. For instance, at Heathrow airport, the minimum charge is 20 GBP to get access to Wi-Fi for the day. With Skype Access you can access the Net to make Skype calls, check your email, check a reservation other Net activities for only 19 cents/minute. If you only need a few minutes use, this approach is much more economical --- and time-saving for you, especially when you are on the go.

This saves time in completing online forms and registering (often very time-consuming) for Wi-fi access through other providers. It can be much cheaper, particularly for quick access to the Net before you have to run and jump on another airplane. Also, when you use your Skype credits you don't risk exposing your credit card over an unsecured Wi-Fi connection. With online criminal activity on the rise, this is a wise security step.

Communication is the lifeblood of business, and internet access is a must-have Without it you lose business, miss out on opportunities and in general have a less than desirable experience. Skype Access is a business tool to have when traveling so you can log into the Net quickly and easily, pay for the charge conveniently with your existing Skype credits and get the job done.

This is a way to eliminate those problems that can occur when you're on the road. Using this with a Skype Manager account gives the ability to track which employees used specific amounts of money at specific locations. For auditing expenses it is a powerful time saver and business expense manager.

Business travelers will also want to get the new Worksnug Pro app that is available on the Apple App store for free. This app can be just what the weary, battle-scarred road warrior needs. It acts like a trusted advisor when looking for a place to connect to the Net, relax, get some coffee or snacks and get a healthy, safe and comfortable place. Skype has partnered with Worksnug to provide this service to business travelers.

Worksnug Pro is an excellent example of where social networking and social media meet the needs of business travelers. Many business travelers look for convenient locations for accessing the Net, locating good restaurants, coffee shops and more. With Worksnug Pro, you tap into the opinions of others who have been there before. Worksnug is an on-going process to build a community of users worldwide who rate the places they visit sharing important information with others.

This free app on your iPhone, iPad or iTouch can connect you to the community of users who have visited various stores, shops, restaurants and other needed environments for the business traveler. Instead of wondering if it is too loud, too dirty, if the bathrooms are cleaned and a host of other important questions, today's savvy business traveler can find the best place near them.

Go to the app store through iTunes and download this free app. The next time you're looking for a really good cup of coffee, a great chicken sandwich or a safe, comfortable Internet Cafe, you'll be glad you have this app working for you.

Chris Brogan Talks with Terry Brock about Collaboration with Technology

Collaboration among people is what get work done. Recently I had the opportunity to interview one of the smartest --- and nicest --- guys I know, Chris Brogan. He has insights that are down-to-earth and profound. Listen to this very wise man as he talks about what he is using now to get his work done.

Chris is a best-selling co-author of the book Trust Agents (with Julien Smith). I've read their book and loved it. In it, they lay out practical ways you can implement social media for business and grow your business. The world is different today from what it was even a few short years ago. Watch this video and learn specific ways you can improve what you're doing by embracing hte right technologies and implementing sound decisions.

Tech Tools For International Business Success

Watch this video interview as I interview Wayne Berry from Melbourne, Australia about success in international business. Wayne talks about the technologies he is using to help train salespeople in countries around the world.

Take notes on this as Wayne lists some specific tools he is using in addition to Skype. Think about what he is doing and how you could use similar technologies in your business to get a competitive advantage.

We look forward to getting your comments.

Terry

Terry Brock
Chief Skype Enterprise Blogger

Terry Brock talks about Skype and More Tech with Chris Brogan

There are a lot of technologies you can use to run your business and generate more sales. I use a number of them and (surprise!) Skype is a huge part of my tool chest.

At the Consumer Electronics Show (January 2011) I got a chance to meet one of my heroes, Chris Brogan. Chris is a consummate professional who uses social media and technology to reach his audience. I have to tell you Chris is not only genuine and real when ON stage but he is a gentleman OFF stage. That is important --- particularly today.

Get your pen & paper (or document entry system) ready to go and take some notes as the one and only Chris Brogan interviews me about Skype and other technology tools which can help you! Terry, Chief Skype Enterprise Blogger

Hold 10-way video conferences with the new beta version of Skype for Windows

Today we’ve released an update to Skype for Windows. The second beta of Skype 5.0 brings a number of changes both outside and in – most importantly, you can now make group video calls with up to 10 people. It also welcomes in a fresh new look, as well as increased stability and better quality when making group video calls. Read on to find out more, or download it now.

Make video conferences with up to 10 people

You can now use Skype to make group video calls* with up to 10 people – letting you bring even more of your business together, even if you’re cities or continents apart.

Note that everyone in a group video call now needs to be running this version, so if your coworkers are using Beta 1, they’ll have to upgrade before you can include them in group video calls.

A refreshed user interface

You’ll notice that the new-look Skype is sleeker, neater and crisper than before, and we’re proud of the work our interface designers have done to refine and mature the interface for this version. We’ve also added Skype Home, where you can follow your contacts' mood messages, set your profile picture and mood message, receive account notifications and learn more about using Skype.

Better stability and quality

We’ve made improvements to call quality when making group video calls, as well as fixed a number of bugs affecting stability, so your calling experience should be smoother than before. This version also includes automatic call recovery, which should help automatically reconnect Skype calls that are interrupted due to network problems. We’ve also made a number of other housekeeping fixes since the first beta – but please bear in mind that this is still a beta version, and so there may be the odd bug remaining.

* Group video calling is currently available as a free trial. For group video calls, everyone in the group video call will need Skype 5.0 Beta 2 for Windows.