Ignite 2017 Plan your UC refresh correctly: Skype for Business on-premises vNext

We will not forget our existing customers - we are investing in another refresh of Skype for business. We imagine organizations running Teams and Skype for business side-by-side, and we want ALL to be piloting Teams now.

Next Skype for business Server 2019 release Preview mid 2018 / Release late 2018
(I took the liberty of adding an "s" on this slide...)

The new client will be released as a click-to-run application on Windows 10, not .msi,
and the new client will work with Skype for Business Server 2015 as well.

Upgrade paths

Support for SQL Server 2016, no in-place upgrade and no Standard edition server will be available. (However, Front End pools with a single server will be supported.. The Director role will be removed (and a small applause erupted in the room) as well as the Persistent Chat role

New features

• A new Hybrid Aware Office 365 Portal will be available (CSCP and Silverlight will finally vanish from the product.)
• Certain "Exchange dependent functionalities", like voice mail, auto attendant and call queues, will now be delivered straight from the cloud.
• Modern Authentication (currently in public preview.)
• A Meeting Migration Service is available in the cloud already.

The new server and other new things will be available at skypepreview.com - sign up today!



Questions and Answers (with special guest - Matt Landis)

How does Cloud Connector Edition CCE fit in with the new server and Teams?
It can co-exist with S4B Server 2019. In the future it might be possible to point an SBC straight to the cloud for calls to Microsoft Teams.

Calling plans with Teams - will there be opportunities for partners to resell and make money of this?
Look at what we have today in Skype for business.

Upgrade story for Skype for business 2015 Multi tenant installations? 
Multi tenant (hosting pack) will not be available in S4B Server 2019.

How about CQD, Statsman, Reporting server?
CQD - will come in new versions online, and an updated Statsman will come.

Will we still need TLS 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2?
It will be possible to disable TLS 1.0 and 1.1 even for Skype for business 2015 (possibly Cumulative Update 7)

Will there be a migration path from Skype consumer?
Not at release time.

If I move my users to Teams, can I still use my on-premises SIP trunk?
Yes, with Cloud Connector Edition today, and the vision is to remove any on-premises components and direct the SIP trunk straight to Office 365.

Roles (standard and director goes away) what about persistent chat? (from Get-CsJosh)
Persistent chat will not be a part of S4B Server 2019.

Will we get "plug-in less meeting joins" in the meeting web app?
No.

Plans for Response groups?
Nothing new, RGS and Call queues (if hybrid.)

How about SBA / SBS?
They will still be supported, but stay as they are today, nothing new.

Will there be a new Office Online Server version?
Unknown to us right now...

Will SDN be developed further?
No, but there might come new solutions from partners.

Are there changes to how quorum and Windows fabric works?
Yes, a new version of Windows fabric will be used which is better. Enterprise Pools with one Front End will be supported, or three to 16 Front Ends will be supported, but not a pool with 2 Front Ends only.

What are you doing on stage Matt? (Ken)
Matt is invited as MVP and guest blogger and he seems to like to be on stage :-)