Skype for Business could soon find its way to custom apps as Microsoft has officially released the Skype for Business software development kit (SDK) for download. Skype for Business allows users to meet and collaborate remotely through dedicated servers and infrastructure, apparently making it faster and more secure than the free-to-download version.
The company announced on Office Blogs on Thursday that the new SDK would allow developers to integrate instant messaging as well as audio and video experiences into custom third-party apps.
The company reportedly previewed the SDK's implementation at the Build 2016 developers' conference, in an app developed by MDLIVE, a tele-healthcare provider. The Skype-integrated app allowed patients to interact with their doctors. Since the app was also integrated with MS Office, doctors could also review and collaborate on patient history and records.
"Skype for Business will provide MDLIVE with a much more scalable architecture, so we can accommodate even higher volumes of video consults daily," said Randy Parker, founder and CEO of MDLIVE, in the post. "The adoption of Skype for Business also enables us to deliver a significantly improved user experience for both patients and physicians."
According to the blog post, the SDK preview will power "remote advisor" solutions, through which organisations can interact with remote customers through instant messaging, audio and video chat, and existing customers and users can use their Skype for Business servers and Skype for Business Online infrastructure while integrating the service into a custom app.
The SDK can be downloaded here and more information on it can be found here.
