Adding the Skype for Business Channel

To set up Skype for Business as a channel, you will need to register a Bot Channel service in Azure and enable a webhook for the platform to receive messages.

On-premise customers seeking to add Skype for Business, click here.

To enable Skype for Business, you need to:

1. Register a Bot Channel- Login to Azure portal and register a bot channel.
2. Create Microsoft ID and Password- You need to add all the bot details and create the Microsoft ID and Password.
3. Enable Skype for Business- After registering the bot, you need to enable the channel.
4. Publish Channel- After the channel is enabled and all configurations are verified, you need to publish the bot to make the bot available for developers.

To add Skype for Business channel

1. In the Bots section of the Bot Builder, click the Bot that you want to add the Skype for Business channel to.
2. On the Channels tab, click the Skype for Business icon. The Skype for Business Channel page gets displayed.
3. In a new browser tab, login to Azure portal to register a bot channel. Click on + Create a Resource option from the left navigation menu. Search and select Bot Channels Registration from the search window. You would be navigated to new Bot Channel Service creation page. Click on Create button and proceed to the next screen to enter the details.
   
4. Enter all the required details for registering the bot channel. Copy the Webhook URL from the Configurations tab of Skype for Business channel page on the builder and provide it in the Messaging Endpoint field.
   
5. Click on Create to complete the registration. Post successful creation, you would be redirected to the Dashboard of your Azure account.
6. To create Microsoft App ID and password, from your Azure Dashboard, select the resource that you have created in the previous steps. You would be redirected to the details page of the new resource that you have created.
   
7. Click on Settings option from the left menu and then click on Manage option next to Microsoft App ID field. You would now be navigated to a new browser tab to manage your app credentials.
   
8. Click on Generate New Password to create a new password for your app. Make a note of the password displayed in the pop-up screen and enter it in the Configurations tab of this window. Click Ok to go back to the previous screen. Make a note of the App ID and enter in the Configuration tab of the channel page. Click on Save option at the end of the page to save your changes.
   
9. To enable Skype for Business, navigate back to your Azure portal and click on Channels option from the left menu for your app. Select the Skype for Business button.
   
   You will be redirected to channel information page and the channel will be enabled. Proceed to next step to add this bot to your Skype for Business Tenant account.
   
10. The Tenant Administrator of your Skype for Business Online environment has to add this bot to your enterprise Skype for Business account. Please refer to instructions from Microsoft Bot Framework for adding this bot to your enterprise Skype for Business account. After these instructions are executed, end users of your enterprise can find this bot in their Skype for Business contacts list and start chatting with the bot.