Microsoft Skype for Business is the primary phone service for the University of Iowa (not including University of Iowa Health Care). Skype for Business enables users to communicate securely anywhere they have network connectivity.
Skype for Business unifies voice and video calls, Skype for Business Meetings, presence, and instant messaging (IM) in one easy-to-use client, making it simple to choose and switch between different forms of communication.
Clients are available for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. Skype for Business is available for faculty, staff, researchers and student employees. Students are not eligible for Skype for Business.
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General Support Information
Current Status
Maintenance
Past 90 Days
Alert History
Installing normal windows patches in our Skype for Business Server environment. This should have no user impact.
The degradation of service has been resolved.
Clarity Connect users are unable to sign into Skype for Business via the browser. Staff can take calls via their Skype client and this should have no affect on data tracking or reports. ITS is investigating.
Installing normal windows patches in our Skype for Business Server environment. This should have no user impact.
Installing normal Windows patches in our Skype for Business Server environment. This should have no user impact.
We have received reports that Auto Attendants are not routing calls. Calls to Skype for Business users do not appear to be impacted at this time. ITS staff are currently investigating the issue.
Installing normal Windows patches in our Skype for Business Server 2019 environment. This should have no user impact.
Updates will be installed to the Skype for Business server environment.
This work should have no user impact.
This issue is resolved.
Microsoft Skype for Business is experiencing login delays for some users on Windows managed machines. Users already logged in are able to use the service without issue. ITS support staff are working to resolve the issues.
Updates will be installed to the Skype for Business server environment.
This work should have no user impact.
This issue has been resolved.
We are receiving reports that several services are not accessible. ITS support staff are investigating the issue to determine services affected. The ITS Help Desk is unable to take calls or see email, but can assist through live chat at https://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu/connect/. Other services affected include Cherwell and Clarity Connect.
Updates will be installed to the Skype for Business server environment. This work should have no user impact.
Windows patches will be installed to the Skype for Business Server environment.
This work should have no user impact.
Updates will be installed to the Skype for Business server environment.
This work should have no user impact.
Updates will be installed to the Skype for Business server environment.
This work should have no user impact.
Normal maintenance patches will be installed to the Skype for Business server environment.
This work should have no user impact.
This issue is resolved.
Skype for Business Auto Attendants have been experiencing issues this morning with calls not being able to come through. ITS Staff are working to resolve this.
Support staff will install Windows patches. The maintenance will have no user impact.
The vendor has resolved the issue. If there are lingering issues, please make sure to update the Microsoft Teams client and to reboot the workstation.
Microsoft Teams and Skype, when running simultaneously, may cause issues joining Teams meetings, Skype crashes, or workstation slow down.
ITS Staff are working with the vendor to remedy the issue.
ITS Staff will be performing maintenance on the Clarity Connect application servers. No end user impact is expected.
Support staff will install Windows patches. The maintenance will have no user impact.
HCIS staff will be performing session border controller (SBC) maintenance. All telephony services may experience a brief outage (15-30 seconds) during the maintenance window. Ongoing calls may be disconnected during this time.
Normal windows patches will be installed in our Skype for Business Server environment. This should have no user impact.
HCIS staff will be performing upgrades to the HCIS border firewall infrastructure. The timeline and expected impact to University of Iowa services are as follows:
- 8:15 PM – Active voice (analog gateway and SIP voice services) and Skype for Business calls may be disconnected. Voice and Skype for Business services will be unavailable for up to 30 seconds.
- 8:30 PM – Active voice (analog gateway and SIP voice services) and Skype for Business calls may be disconnected. Voice and Skype for Business services will be unavailable for up to 30 seconds.
The issue has been resolved.
A support ticket has been opened with Microsoft, who acknowledged that the issues we are experiencing are widespread and affecting customers beyond the University of Iowa. Microsoft is working on a solution (which will likely come as an update to Microsoft Teams) and provided a timeline of the end of February 2023 for the solution to be implemented.
Skype for Business users have reported hearing dial tone from the Windows Skype for Business client after the following circumstances:
- Ending a Skype for Business call
- Restarting the Skype for Business client while in a Microsoft Teams call or meeting
- Ending a Microsoft Teams meeting while the Skype for Business client is running
- Leaving a Microsoft Teams meeting while the Skype for Business client is running
ITS and HCIS staff are working on a solution to the issue. Until a solution is in place, users experiencing this issue should do the following:
- Close the Skype for Business client by navigating to the System Tray (access by clicking up caret at bottom right of main screen, near the date and time), right-clicking on the Skype for Business icon, and selecting Exit.
- Close the Microsoft Teams client by navigating to the System Tray (access by clicking up caret at bottom right of main screen, near the date and time), right-clicking on the Skype for Business icon, and selecting Quit.
- Relaunch both Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams.
- If necessary, restart your computer.
IT staff will be making a configuration change to the Session Border Controller (SBC) to address one-way audio issues in Skype for Business.
Support staff will install Windows patches and replace certificates that are set to expire. The maintenance should have no user impact.
The issue has been resolved
Skype for Business e911 location information is intermittently not updating for Skype for Business users on the University of Iowa campus. HCIS and ITS staff are investigating.
Maintenance will be performed on the Skype for Business environment. This maintenance should have little to no user impact.
The issue has been resolved.
Auto Attendants are currently experiencing issues routing calls. ITS staff are working with Microsoft to resolve the issue.
A configuration change will be made to the Skype for Business 2019 infrastructure to enable Hybrid Modern Authentication. Users may be prompted to authenticate the next time the Skype for Business client is started.
The issue has been resolved.
Some users are unable to sign in to Skype, or if they can sign in they can't see contacts or use the chat service. Support teams are investigating.
This issue is resolved.
Incoming calls are currently not routing to Skype for Business / Microsoft Teams auto attendants. ITS staff have reported the issue and are investigating.
We will install normal Windows patches in our Skype for Business Server environment for maintenance. Minimal user impact is expected.
This issue has been resolved
Users' calls to auto attendants may fail to transfer after selecting a menu option. After users select an option from the auto attendant menu, the call plays dead air for up to three minutes, then the call states that it couldn't connect and to try again later, and disconnects the call.
This is a Microsoft-wide issue; they are currently investigating the problem.
Expected downtime is not known. There is no workaround.
ITS will be performing maintenance on the Skype for Business environment. This maintenance should have little to no user impact.
This issue is resolved.
ITS is experiencing intermittent issues with cloud voicemail.
ITS is testing room-level Skype for Business Location Information in UCC in preparation for a campus-wide rollout.
Location Information will be displayed in the user's Skype for Business client based on the current Ethernet port the user's workstation is connected to in the format of Building, Floor, Room. For example: UCC FL 2 RM 2853.
At this time, room-level Skype for Business Location Information only applies to Ethernet ports located in UCC. ITS Staff will send further information prior to the campus-wide rollout; tentatively scheduled to take place in early 2022.
For information on how to disable Skype for Business location information sharing, please refer to the ITS support article https://its.uiowa.edu/support/article/120291.
ITS will be performing maintenance on the Skype for Business environment. This maintenance should have little to no user impact.
A configuration change will be made to the session border controllers (SBCs) during this time. The change is expected to be transparent to end users.
A configuration change will be made to the Skype for Business servers during this time. The change is expected to be transparent to end users, without an impact to active calls.
The Skype for Business servers will be upgraded during this time.
Skype for Business servers will be patched. There is no expected impact for Skype for Business users.
Skype for Business front-end and edge services will be disabled on the former 2015 Skype implementation no longer in use. The current Skype for Business service is not affected.
The Skype issues are resolved.
We are receiving reports of errors within Skype for Business and some mobile devices are not able to connect. Support teams are working to identify the scope and the cause.
Skype for Business servers will be patched. No impact to end users is expected.
DHCP options for Skype-enabled IP phones will be updated. Devices using PIN authentication may need to sign in once settings have been updated.
A Skype for Business Server 2019 cumulative update will be applied to all Skype for Business 2019 servers. End users should not be impacted as this is a rolling update that will be applied to one server at a time.
Some Skype for Business mediation services will be decommissioned for maintenance. This maintenance is expected to be non-disruptive.
Some Skype for Business response group services will be decommissioned for maintenance. This maintenance is expected to be non-disruptive.
Skype for Business response groups will be migrated to a new pool. Response group agents may experience intermittent connectivity during this time.
The issue has been resolved.
Users making external phone calls via Skype for Business may experience a period of silence at the start of the call. ITS staff are working to resolve the issue.
The Skype for Business conferencing dial-in access number will be migrated to a new pool. Maintenance is expected to be non-disruptive.
The Skype for Business Central Management store will be migrated to a new database. Maintenance is expected to be non-disruptive.
This issue has been resolved.
There is an issue with logging into Skype for Business. The ITS Help Desk is also experiencing issues receiving calls.
Please email the Help Desk at its-helpdesk@uiowa.edu or use our live chat service at http://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu/connect/.
Federation routes will be updated on the Skype for Business Edge servers. Features that rely on federation may see intermittent connectivity. Affected services may include presence/IM with external federated domains as well as Cloud Voice Mail and Cloud Attendants.
The issue with transferring calls is resolved.
The issues related to call forwarding and simultaneous ring with Skype for Business have been resolved. Users may still experience problems transferring calls.
Skype for Business users may also experience problems transferring calls
Skype for Business users are unable to utilize call forwarding or simultaneous ring. Calls may disconnect or route to the user's Skype for Business voicemail depending on where the caller is calling from. We are asking impacted users to disable any call forwarding settings in their Skype for Business client.
ITS staff are working to resolve the issue.
For ITS staff in the Skype for Business 2019 environment, a software patch is being applied to the Skype for Business 2019 infrastructure. Users may be signed out of their Skype for Business client and automatically signed back in during the repair process.
ITS is receiving reports of inconsistencies with the Message Waiting Indicator (MWI) on Polycom VVX VoIP endpoints.
At this time, end users may experience situations where the Skype for Business account that is currently signed into the VoIP phone has an unread voicemail message but the MWI does not flash. End users can check voicemail by either using the email account currently signed into the VoIP phone or by pressing on the mail icon / button on the phone itself.
ITS staff are currently investigating the issue.
Non-disruptive updates will be applied to the Skype for Business servers.
The issue has been resolved.
Users may be unable to receive voicemail messages. Callers who are transferred to an impacted user's voicemail box may only hear silence and then the call is disconnected. ITS is working with Microsoft to resolve the issue.
Moving this DOS to the ongoing issues page https://its.uiowa.edu/support/categories/ongoing-issues
The following Skype for Business phones in response groups (Polycom models VVX201 and VVX311) are experiencing a 5-6 second sound delay between picking up the handset and the customer hearing them. A workaround is to pick up the handset and wait 5-6 seconds before speaking.
ITS is working with Microsoft on this issue.
Skype for Business users are no longer able to access voicemail messages or change voicemail greetings by dialing 319-467-1660, due to feature changes in Microsoft's Cloud voicemail service.
Additional information on how to update your Skype for Business voicemail greeting or how to listen to voicemail messages can be found on the Cloud Voicemail Support Center: https://its.uiowa.edu/um.
Non-disruptive updates will be applied to the Skype for Business servers.
Microsoft has fixed this issue and the problem has been resolved. Please contact the ITS Help Desk if you have any further problems using this service.
Cloud voicemail is down. This is impacting all voicemail and auto attendants. ITS is working with Microsoft on the problem.
Access to Skype for Business will be intermittent during this time for scheduled maintenance.
This issue has been resolved.
There is currently an issue with the Skype for Business telephony. ITS staff are working to resolve this issue.
The ITS Help Desk is also experiencing issues receiving phone calls.
Please email the Help Desk at its-helpdesk@uiowa.edu or use our live chat service at http://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu/connect/.
This issue is resolved.
We are experiencing problems with the Skype for Business Unified Messaging service and impacted users may be unable to receive voicemail messages.
This issue has been resolved.
There is currently an issue with the Skype for Business telephony. ITS staff are working to resolve this issue.
The ITS Help Desk is also experiencing issues receiving phone calls.
Please email the Help Desk at its-helpdesk@uiowa.edu or use our live chat service at http://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu/connect/.
This issue has been resolved.
Skype for Business is currently down. ITS technicians are working to resolve the issue and this posting will be updated when more information is available. This issue means that the ITS Help Desk cannot receive phone calls so please email at its-helpdesk@uiowa.edu.
This issue is resolved.
The ITS Help Desk is unable to receive phone calls. IT support staff are working on the issue.
There are problems with the university Skype for Business Unified Messaging Voicemail service. Currently voicemail messages are not being delivered to email. Support staff are working with Microsoft to resolve the problem. We will update this notice as soon as more information is available.
UPDATE: This issue is resolved.
UPDATE: Skype for Business Exchange Auto Attendants are experiencing an outage. Support teams are working with Microsoft Product Support Services to resolve the issue.
Original Notice: We are currently experiencing issues with the Help Desk phone service. Users receive an error when calling 319-384-4357. Support teams are working on the issue and it appears to be isolated to just the Help Desk phone number. In the meantime please email the Help Desk at its-helpdesk@uiowa.edu or use our chat service at http://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu/connect/.
ITS will upgrade the Lync 2013 server infrastructure to Skype for Business Server 2015. During this three-hour window all Lync and Skype for Business services will be unavailable.
This includes instant messaging, audio/video calls and online meetings. For individuals who use Lync/Skype for Business as a telephone solution (Enterprise Voice) this service will also be unavailable.
Lync 2010, Lync 2011 for Mac, Lync 2013 and Skype for Business clients will be compatible with the upgraded server software. ITS recommends upgrading Windows computers to the latest Skype for Business 2016 client for the best user experience. Skype for Business for Mac is the current production client for Mac OS X. Lync 2010 and Lync 2013 clients will be compatible with the upgraded server software, but will not provide the same level of functionality as the new clients.