Using Skype with SmartCloud for Social Business

How it works

This solution brings VoIP to the IBM SmartCloud community so you can use your Skype™ contacts to collaborate in real time without switching away from IBM SmartCloud. Also, you can use your SkypeOut credit to enable low-cost internet calling from within IBM SmartCloud. Works with IBM SmartCloud Engage and SmartCloud Connections. Requires that you have an account with Skype and that the Skype client is installed.

When working in SmartCloud for Social Business, you can take advantage of the following features from Skype:

• Start an audio conference around a file. Anyone with whom you have shared the file is added to the call automatically.
• Start a Skype call with someone directly from the user's business card and contact record,
• Find the Skype name of a user in a contact record.

About Skype: Skype is an internet based voice-over-IP (VoIP) solution that provides free video and voice calling among Skype users and low-cost calling to mobile and land lines.

First steps

To get started, make sure that you have the following software installed and features enabled.

Download and install Skype

You must download and install the Skype client from the Skype web site:

http://www.skype.com

Notes:

• You will need an account with Skype, which you will set up during the installation, if you don't already have one.
• Refer to instructions and help information provided on the Skype Web site for details on register, download, and install the Skype client.

Make sure that Skype is enabled for users accounts in SmartCloud for Social Business

If you see Skype showing up in SmartCloud for Social Business, then it is already enabled. Examples of Skype integration are shown in the Tips section below.

If Skype is not available, then an administrator must enable Skype for you.

An administrator can perform the following steps:

To enable all current users:
To enable an individual user account only: Notes:

• If you are not an administrator, you can send a message to ask that Skype be enabled for your user account. To contact an administrator, from the navigation bar, click your name, and select My Account Settings. At the bottom of the page, click Contact Account Administrator to send an email to your administrator.
• If a new user account requires Skype integration, then an administrator must enable Skype, as described above.
• Each time an app is enabled, the user must log in and accept the terms of use before the integration appears.

Tips for using Skype

Starting a call with someone directly

You can start a call directly with someone from a business card.

Simply select the drop-down arrow beside a person's name to reveal the business card. To start the call, click Skype Call.

Find the Skype name for someone

When you create a contact record, you can provide the person's Skype name in a field so that you can refer back to it later.

To find the Skype name field when you create a new contact, click Additional Information below Relationship, and then look for the Skype name field.

Troubleshooting

Refer to the following information if you experience problems.

The Skype browser plugin

The Skype browser plugin is an option during the Skype client installation, and it is not a feature of SmartCloud Engage. When used, this plugin can alter the user interface. To turn on or turn off the browser plugin, refer to the Skype-extension options.

File sharing does not show automatically after a file is shared

When using Skype right after you share a file, you might need to refresh the page to see that the file has been shared.

A new user account does not have the Skype integration

• If you add a new user account, you must enable Skype for that account. To enable a user account, refer to the instructions shown above for enabling Skype.
• Each time an app is enabled, the user must log in and accept the terms of use before the integration appears.