Skype for Business will no longer be available to WVU employees as of Tuesday, March 3, and ITS is recommending the use of Microsoft Teams as a powerful replacement for collaboration and communication. This change affects all WVU campuses, including the Health Sciences Center.
Teams is available to all WVU employees as an online or mobile application, as well as a desktop client. Here are some key features:
- Keep in touch with your Skype contacts by importing them when you first install Teams.
- Connect with others one on one or in small groups using the Chat feature.
- Collaborate in real time by accessing and editing Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint and Excel files. Each Team has its own Files section for various types of media.
- Set up video conferencing for virtual meetings. Just make sure you cancel any Skype meetings and recreate them in Teams. If you have an active audio-conferencing license, it will work with Teams.
- Reduce the need for long, complex and difficult to find email threads. Teams has a persistent chat feature, meaning new collaborators will be able to read through and catch up on past conversations.
- Customize your notifications. Unread messages will go to your email after one hour by default, but you can choose any timing you like.
Please direct questions to the HSC Help Desk at hsc_helpdesk@hsc.wvu.edu or 304-293-3631, option 1.
