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Get started with Skype for Business
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Get started with Skype for Business

Set presence options

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With Skype for Business, see if your co-workers are available, or change your own status.

  • Click the arrows by your name to set your presence or location manually.

  • The three most popular presence indicators are:

    • Available SfBPresence_Available

    • Busy SfBPresence_Busy

    • Away SfBPresence_Away

  • Other common presence indicators include:

    • Do Not Disturb SfBPresence_DoNotDisturb

    • Offline SfBPresence_Offline

  • A purple dot appears next to a contact's name if they're Out of Office SfBPresence_OutOfOffice_small_dot.

    • You can still IM the contact and they'll receive the message as a Missed conversation in email, or when they're online and available again on Skype for Business.

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Change your presence status in Skype for Business

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In Skype for Business, you can see if your co-workers are available, or change your own status.

The three most common status indicators are green, red, and yellow, which mean Available, Busy, and Away.

Skype for Business changes these indicators based on your activity and Outlook calendar.

Because Bonnie's available, you can send her an instant message. When you hover over her picture, these buttons appear. Click the first one to start the IM.

You can often see more information over here next to their name. It looks like Kari is in a conference call, and Rob is out all day.

Two other indicators are Do Not Disturb and Offline.

Skype for Business automatically sets your presence to Do Not Disturb when you're presenting, so your presentation won't be interrupted by an IM or phone call.

If you sign out of Skype for Business, you'll appear as Offline.

You can set your presence manually by clicking this down arrow. This is helpful when you're busy, want to appear away, or don't want to be disturbed.

Click here to add or show others your location.

Or click under the title bar to enter a personal thought, or more information about your status.

A purple dot may appear next to a contact's name, indicating that they're Out of Office.

But you can still IM them, and they'll receive the message as a Missed conversation in email,

or see it when they're online and available again.

Skype for Business presence indicators let everyone know when you're available to connect.

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