Skype for Business lands on iOS

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Skype for Business is now officially available for iOS devices, after a preview was released in August for iPhones and iPads.

The final version of the video conferencing and telepresence app for iOS features an updated dashboard that shows a search bar to easily find contacts, notifications for upcoming meetings and also highlights your recent conversations.

The latter are stored in the cloud, so they're available across multiple devices, making it simple to find who you were speaking to even if you're working from a different location or on a different device.

The app also features full-screen video for a "more immersive meeting experience", Praveen Maloo, product marketing manager for the Skype for Business team,said in a blog post. There's alsoan option for simultaneous viewing of the video feed and shared content.

So far, the iOS version of Skype for Business doesn't include support for sharing PowerPoint slides, though Microsoft said that will arrive in future versions. In the meantime, presentations can be shared via the desktop.

Microsoft is also including authentication via Active Directory and multi-factor authentication, "increasing the security beyond just a user name and password," Maloosaid.

Alongside those features, anyone updating from Lync 2013 on iOS 9 will be pleased to see Skype for Business "resolves the sign-in issues" that affected iPhone and iPad users on the older Microsoft conferencing system.

Skype for Business is available as a universal app in the iTunes Store. If you're using Lync 2013 on an iPhone, you'll be automatically updated; if you're using it on an iPad, you'll need to manually download it from Apple's store.

The final version of the Android app for Skype for Business has yet to be released; Microsoft said it would arrive later this year. It's already available on Windows Phone.