How to Use Skype for Business Instead of Lync

Switch between Skype for Business and Lync Client UI

We are all going to get a new client for Lync and it is going to look a lot more like Skype. But here's an interesting thing. With this new client, named "Skype for Business Client" now you or in many instances the administrator of your organization has the ability to change the UI of the client, either to:

Skype for Business Client
Lync 2013 Client

This new Dual User Experience mode that controls the Lync/Skype UI is managed via in-band settings. The client is by default configured to check for the Server Version of the environment and set up the looks. The below table lists what you may see by default.

Server Version	Default Client UI
Skype for Business on premise	Skype for Business
Skype for Business Online	Skype for Business
Lync Server 2013	Lync 2013
Lync Server 2010	Lync 2013

Although this is the case, the Lync/S4B administrator always have the option to change the UI via changing in-band policy settings that will manually override the default UI. If you are an administrator, all you want to do is enable or disable the EnableSkypeUI property from the Client Policy via Skype for Business powershell module. To enable the Skype UI and Lync 2013 UI the following commands can be run respectively.

Set-CSClientPolicy -EnableSkypeUI: <value>*

*<true/false> [True - enables Skype For Business UI | False - Enables Lync 2013 UI]

To see what happens from the users end, head over to REGEDIT , Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Lync and notice the value for EnableSkypeUI;

00 00 00 01 – Skype for Business UI
00 00 00 00 – Lync 2013 UI

Once the UI policy is changed from S4B to Lync 2013, users will receive a notification asking for a client restart, which will change the client UI to Lync 2013.

However, there's a catch. Based on the UI that you choose to have, the features may vary as show below.

Feature	Skype UI	Lync UI
First Run Experience	Yes	No
New Emoticons	Yes	Yes
Call and Video Monitor	Yes	No
Call via Work	Yes	No
RCC	No	Yes
Rate my call	Yes	Yes
Server side conversation history	Yes	Yes
Skype-Lync Video interop	Yes	Yes

Found anything? Let us know.

Comments

16 Apr 2015 7:47 AM

We have a Lync 2013 on-premise and office 365, we do not have the hybrid configuration but do use office click-to-run, so the S4B client is installed. I prefer the S4B client, but i cannot get the settings to stick and the command does not function in the Lync Server Management Shell. The powershell command does not work, it says the parameter 'EnableSkypeUI' cannot be found.

Thanks
16 Apr 2015 9:58 AM

Looks like you need to update the Lync Server with the December 2014 cumulative updates. This will add the commands/settings to be disabled or enabled via PS.
21 Apr 2015 11:05 PM

What about Lync 2013 Basic client? The update patches the basic client but there are several thing that not work. Many things are missing in the UI and the Outlook plugin is not updated.
8 Apr 2016 12:21 AM

As per my understanding this feature is not supported if you have Skype for Business 2016 client.
29 Apr 2016 9:21 PM

Love the Mario user profile pic!

Source: https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/30282.switch-between-skype-for-business-and-lync-client-ui.aspx

Posted by: garlickithis1940.blogspot.com

How to Use Skype for Business Instead of Lync