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  7. Lync Win/Mac Comparison

Unified Communications

Windows and Macintosh SFB Comparison

Enhanced Presence Support

Feature/capability Skype for Business 2015 or 2016 client Skype for Business on Mac
Publish status Yes Yes1
View status Yes Yes
View status notes and Out of Office messages Yes Yes
Add a custom location Yes Yes
Add a custom note Yes Yes
Use a photo from any public site for My Picture (not available in Skype for Business online) Yes No
  1. Does not support publishing status based on calendar free/busy information.

Contacts and Contact Groups Support

Feature/capability Skype for Business 2015 or 2016 client Skype for Business on Mac
Pre-populated Contacts list Yes No
View and Modify Contacts list Yes Yes
Tag contacts for status change alerts Yes Yes
Control privacy relationships Yes No
Search the corporate address book Yes Yes
Search Microdoft Outlook contacts Yes Yes
Manage contact groups Yes Yes
Expand distribution groups and Microsoft 365 Groups Yes Yes
Search for Response Groups (Not available in Skype for Business Online) Yes No
Display recent contacts group Yes No
Display current conversations group Yes Yes
Display alternate contact views (for example, tile) Yes Yes
Sort contacts by Group, Relationship, or New (people who've added you to their contacts list) Yes No
Sort contacts by Status (availability) Yes No
Search and add Exchange contacts Yes No

IM Support

Feature/capability Skype for Business 2015 or 2016 client Skype for Business on Mac
Initiate IM with or email to a contact Yes Yes
Navigate among multiple IM conversations/Track multiple conversations in a single tabbed window Yes Yes
Log IM conversations in Outlook Yes Yes if server side conversation history is turned on
Use prepared conversation templates No No
Check spelling Yes Yes
Skill search (with SharePoint Server integration) (On-premises Skype for Business Server and on-premises SharePoint 2013 are required for skill search) Yes No
Persistent Chat (Group Chat) integration 
(not available for Skype for Business Online)		 Yes No
Escalate a Persistent Chat room to a Skype for Business Meeting with one click 
(not available for Skype for Business Online)		 Yes No
Inline pictures of sender and receiver in IM window Yes No
Send ink messages No No
Receive ink messages  Yes No
Set IM messages as high importance Yes No
Transfer files in peer-to-peer IM conversations Yes Yes

Meetings Support

Feature/capability Skype for Business 2015 or 2016 client Skype for Business on Mac
Add computer audio Yes Yes
Add video Yes Yes
View multiparty video (gallery view) Yes Yes
Video-based screen sharing  Yes Yes
Use in-meeting presenter controls Yes Yes
Access detailed meeting roster Yes Yes
Participate in multiparty IM Yes Yes
Share the desktop (if enabled) Yes Yes1
Share a program (if enabled) Yes View only
Add anonymous participants (if enabled) Yes Yes
Use dial-in audio meetings Yes2 Yes
Initiate a Meet Now meeting Yes Yes
Add and present Microsoft PowerPoint files Yes 3Annotations not available
Navigate Microsoft PowerPoint files  Yes Yes
Add and edit OneNote meeting notes  Yes No
Use a whiteboard Yes No
Conduct polls Yes No
Upload files to share with others Yes No
Schedule a meeting or conference  Outlook or Skype for Business Web Scheduller Outlook or Skype for Business Web Scheduller
Q&A Manager Yes No
Disable attendee video Yes No
Disable meeting IM  Yes No
Mute Audience Yes Yes
Make everyone an attendee  Yes No
Produce Skype Meeting Broadcast  Yes No
Delegate can schedule a meeting on behalf of delegator  Yes Yes
Synchronize delegates between Skype for Business and Outlook Yes No
Set Video Spotlight (lock video)  Yes No
Give/Take control of screen sharing  Yes No
  1. Participants can't control desktops that are shared by Skype for Business on Mac, Lync for Mac 2011, or Communicator for Mac 2011 users. Skype for Business on Mac, Lync for Mac 2011 and Communicator for Mac 2011 users can't control desktops shared by Windows users. This also won't work for Skype for Business Web App on Max OSX.
  2. For Skype for Business Online, this feature requires Microsoft PSTN Conferencing, Exchange Unified Messaging, or a 3rd party audio conferencing provider.
  3. The Lync for Mac 2011 client cannot view Microsoft Office 2013 PowerPoint presentations when they have been shared in a conference by the Skype for Business Web App.

Voice (Telephony) support

Feature/capability Skype for Business 2015 or 2016 client Skype for Business on Mac
Initiate a call Yes Yes
Click to call a contact Yes Yes
Transfer a call Yes Yes
Manage call forwarding Yes Yes
Manage team call settings Yes No
Manage delegates Yes Yes requires Skype for Business Server 2015 CU4 or later
Initiate a call to a Response Group Yes No
Support emergency services (E-911) Yes Yes requires Skype for Business Server 2015 CU6 or later
IM notification to SIP URI(s) for E-911 cal Yes Yes
IM notification to distribution list for E-911 call  Yes No
Connect to voice mail, set up or change greeting  Yes Yes
Missed call notification Yes Yes
Make calls on behalf of another contact (manager/delegate scenario) Yes Yes
Handle another's calls if configured as a delegate Yes Yes
Manage a high volumes of calls No No
Call park  Yes No
Group call pickup Yes No
Location-based routing  Yes Yes
Manage Response Group/Team call group Yes No

External Users Support

Feature/capability Skype for Business 2015 or 2016 client Skype for Business on Mac
Initiate IM with a public contact Yes Yes
Initiate IM with a federated contact Yes Yes
Conduct two-party or multiparty calls with external users 
(not available in Skype for Business Online) 		 Yes Yes

Recording Support

Feature/capability Skype for Business 2015 or 2016 client Skype for Business on Mac
Client-side recording of audio, video, application sharing, desktop sharing, and uploaded content Yes1 No
Client-side recording of file transfers, shared OneNote pages, and PowerPoint annotations  Yes2 No
Select preferred recording resolution Yes No
  1. Recording is unavailable in certain Skype for Business Online standalone plans. Recording requires full Skype for Business client rights.
  2. Recording of file transfers, shared OneNote pages, and PowerPoint annotations is unavailable in Skype for Business Online.

Modern Authentication

Feature/capability Skype for Business 2015 or 2016 client Skype for Business on Mac
Modern Authentication Yes Yes
Multi-factor Authentication Yes Yes
Cert -Based Authentication Yes (Domain-joined devide only) Yes
Kerberos Authentication  Yes No

Archiving, Compliance, and Logging Support

Feature/capability Skype for Business 2015 or 2016 client Skype for Business on Mac
Archiving of IM conversations in Outlook Conversation History  Yes1 Yes if server side conversation history is enabled
Client-side archiving of audio, video, application sharing, desktop sharing, and uploaded content Yes1 No
Client-side archiving of file transfers, shared OneNote pages, and PowerPoint annotations 
(unavailable in Skype for Business Online)		 Yes No
Access sign-in logs from Skype for Business icon in the task bar Yes No
  1. For Skype for Business Online users, this feature requires Exchange Online and is controlled by the user's Exchange mailbox In-Place Hold attribute.

 

For Lync related questions or problems, send email to sfbsupport@uh.edu.