Exploring Business Communicator

Business Communicator offers Voice/Video or Collaboration versions. Both versions give you voice and video functions; however, Collaboration also gives you IM/chat, presence (live status of you and your colleagues), and My Room features.

Voice/Video overview

The Voice/Video version has a green banner across the top of the main window with just your name.

Collaboration overview

The Collaboration version also has a green banner across the top of the main window with your name. In addition, it will have a house icon, the ability to set your status and location, and a circle with your initials where you can add your profile picture.

From the main Business Communicator window, you can access your contacts, which syncs with your other Hosted VoIP services; start an IM/chat (Collaboration version); call a contact; search directories; and set features.

The green banner shows your presence status: available, away, busy, or offline. You can manually set your presence status, include your picture or an avatar, set your location, and add a personal note to give people more information about your status. You can also access My Room (identified as a house icon), which is a dedicated IM/chat room that lets you IM/chat with contacts who also have the Collaboration version. From My Room, you and your participants can call into a meeting and share your desktop.

Using the menu on the left (for both versions)

Most of the features listed on the menu on the left can also be accessed from the top menu. In the Voice/Video version, you won’t have access to IM/chat history.

Contacts (silhouette icon)—add or remove personal contacts, designate favorites, search, and call contacts.

Chat History (chat bubble icon)—(Collaboration version) review previous IM/chat conversations and start a new conversation with a contact.

Communication History (handset with a clock icon)—review missed, placed, and incoming calls.

Dialpad (dialpad icon)—this click-to-dial feature allows you to make a voice or video call directly from Business Communicator. Or, you can call a contact from Business Communicator and talk from your desk phone.

Directory (globe icon)—find contacts in your organization’s directory and call people from the list.

Options (gear icon)—add or remove features for signing in, notifications, call control, and setting audio and video preferences.

The Voice/Video version has a green banner across the top of the main window with just your name.

Using the active call window (for both versions)

As you’re making or receiving a call, the Business Communicator active call window opens next to the main window. Use the active call communication ribbon at the top of the window to end a call, put a caller on hold, mute yourself on a call, and access more features from the dial pad icon to transfer a call, start a conference call, park a call, and set the volume for your headset or speaker.

To the right of the communication ribbon at the top you can also access the following features:

Chat (speech bubble icon)—if you have the Collaboration version you can IM/chat with contacts you’re speaking with if they also have the Collaboration version.

Video call (video icon)—start a video call from Business Communicator.

Screen share (computer with an arrow icon)—start sharing your screen with the caller to show an application or your entire desktop.

Information (an i with a circle icon)—edit the profile of a contact and add a contact.

Using the active call area in the main window (for both versions)

Incoming calls can be answered from the active call area. When you’re on a call, Business Communicator displays the active call details from the main window and automatically looks-up the caller’s phone number and, if the caller is a personal contact, will show the caller’s name.

From the active call area, you can do any of the following:

To end the call, click the red handset icon.
To put a call on hold, click the pause icon.
To put yourself on mute, click the microphone icon.
To add a video call, set your audio device to either a headset or speakers, or edit or view the caller’s profile, click the three vertical dots icon.