Inviting VTC devices into Skype for Business meetings

Any video units that are registered with the Pexip Service with a Premium subscription can call into a scheduled Skype for Business meeting without needing to enter a long dial string of numbers and letters.

Ensure that your video unit(s) are listed as a Room resource inside your company's Microsoft Exchange directory. See Enabling your video conferencing units to be added as Skype for Business contacts for more information.

Ensure that your Skype for Business environment is federated towards the pexip.me domain, unless you are running with an open federation policy. See Enabling federation / external access for Office 365 for more information.

There are two steps for fast, easy dialing from your video unit into a Skype for Business meeting:

  1. Add the required VTC device(s) to the meeting invite when scheduling the meeting, or add the VTC device to an ongoing meeting.
  2. Use a connected app to receive the meeting invite and instruct your video unit to join the correct meeting.

These steps and your different options are described below.

Scheduling your Skype for Business meeting to include the VTC(s)

To schedule the meeting with the video resources:

  1. Schedule a new Skype for Business meeting in Outlook as usual.
  2. Add the required VTC(s) to the meeting invite.

  3. To allow the VTC participant to share content in the meeting:

    1. Select Meeting options and choose Who's a presenter.
    2. Select Anyone (no restrictions).

    Alternatively, you can right-click the video system in the participant list and select Make a presenter.

Inviting a VTC into an ongoing Skype for Business meeting

When inviting a VTC device into an ongoing Skype for Business meeting:

  • Use the Invite more people option, search for the device in the Skype for Business contact list and add it to the meeting.
  • The device must be invited by a meeting presenter/host.

Joining a scheduled meeting

After you have invited the video units you want to participate, when it is time to join the meeting you need a control application that can read the calendar invitation and convert the meeting link to a SIP URI. The following control applications can be used:

  • Pexip app with MeetingConnect
  • Pexip One-Touch Join
  • Synergy Sky Meeting Server

Using the Pexip app with MeetingConnect

By scanning a QR (Quick Response) code with your smartphone, the MeetingConnect feature in the Pexip mobile app lets you join a scheduled video meeting from any of your video conferencing systems without having to dial or enter a video address.

See Setting up MeetingConnect "Scan to Join" for more information.

Pexip One-Touch Join

If your company is using Pexip One-Touch Join (OTJ) with your video units, you can use the touchscreen connected to each video system to view your meeting schedule and join meetings.

It will display a Join button just before the meeting is scheduled to begin. Participants can simply walk into the room, press the Join button, and the endpoint will automatically dial into the meeting.

Synergy Sky Meeting Server

If your company is using Synergy Sky with your video units, you can use the touchscreen connected to each video system to view your meeting schedule and join meetings.

From the touch panel, you can click to join upcoming Skype for Business meetings with one-tap to join functionality.

Note that the exact functionality of your Synergy Sky service depends on the make and model of the video unit you're using.

See Synergy Sky configuration for integration with the Pexip Service and Skype for Business meetings for more information.