Scott’s just announced that the Skype for Business Control Panel has had a few updates — and the new features should help make life easier for small and large organisations alike. There’s also a new Business help desk for any support queries.

If you use Skype at work and don’t already use the Business Control Panel, you might like to check it out — it’s free to set up, and brings a whole host of benefits. †

What’s new in the updated Business Control Panel

Easier invitations — you can now invite people to join your Business Control Panel using their email address; if they don’t already have a Skype name, they’ll be invited to set one up, and will be guided through the process. You can even recommend a name if your company uses a standard format.

Members’ directory — you can create a directory for your organisation to make it easy for your employees or volunteers to find each others Skype names.

Itemised call reports — with the permission of your employees, you can view itemised reports of their calls and text messages. As a Control Panel member, you can grant or deny permission as you see fit from the Business Control Panel settings page.

Credit buying improvements — you can now buy up to £750 of credit at once, and can set up auto recharging to make sure that your employees never run out of credit.

† If you’re part of a larger organisation, don’t forget about the Business version of Skype (MSI), too.