As the presence statuses in Skype are not target-oriented, calls may get lost; automatic call forwarding when staff members are "offline" can not be guaranteed. Configuration and call forwarding to deputies or assistants during your absence has to be done manually.

With Assistant you only have to configure certain routing rules once to achieve an automated call distribution of incoming telephone calls in accordance with your staff members' presence status. You can manage forwarding rules for calls based on your presence status in Skype for Business. For each presence status – available, busy, do not disturb, away, offline – you may freely define where calls shall be forwarded to, ensuring that every caller gets an answer.

All Assistant Features at a glance

 Presence-based forwarding -  Automatic forwarding of calls can be set for every presence status. Calls can be forwarded to an employee, a team, a service line or to voicemail. If an employee is in a call, the caller either hears the busy sign or the call is automatically redirected according to the forwarding rules.

 Personal Assistants - Authorized employees, such as personal assistants, can manually change forwarding rules for their managers and "break through" redirections to inform them of urgent calls.

 Blacklists - Users can add phone numbers or SIP addresses on a blacklist. These callers will hear the busy tone when calling. Authorized assistants can manage the blacklist of their managers.

 Team Call Groups - All users can manage their own set of Team Call Group which can be rung simultaneously depending on presence settings.

 Easy Setup - Forwarding rules can be easily administered in a simple web interface. Initial setup can be done by the system administrator. Delegates can modify settings for certain colleagues.

 Self-Administered - Employees can manage redirections for every presence status themselves to make sure that all their calls are answered. Multiple Roles on the user are easy to assign.