Category Archives: Lync Online

Microsoft and Skype

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On May 10, 2011, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: “MSFT”) and Skype Global S.à r.l today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Microsoft will acquire Skype, the leading Internet communications company, for $8.5 billion in cash from the investor group led by Silver Lake. The agreement has been approved by the boards of directors of both Microsoft and Skype.

Read the press release from Microsoft News Center.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Skype CEO Tony Bates announce Microsoft's acquisition of Skype. San Francisco, May 10, 2011

Article from The Telegraph about this deal.

Skype will support Microsoft devices like Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone and a wide array of Windows devices, and Microsoft will connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live and other communities. Microsoft will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms. The acquisition will increase the accessibility of real-time video and voice communications, bringing benefits to both consumers and enterprise users and generating significant new business and revenue opportunities. The combination will extend Skype’s world-class brand and the reach of its networked platform, while enhancing Microsoft’s existing portfolio of real-time communications products and services.

Microsoft Online Services – Business productivity online standard suite

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Microsoft brings together online versions of our most trusted communication and collaboration products with the security, reliability, and control you require.

Choosing Microsoft Online Services allows you to combine the power of rich desktop-based applications with the flexibility of fully-hosted Internet services. That gives your users an all-in-one integrated experience on the same rich clients your users already know with a consistent look and feel from virtually any device, in almost any location.

Microsoft Online Services benefits include:

The latest business productivity capabilities

  • Business-class e-mail, web conferencing, instant messaging, document collaboration and workflow all designed to work together seamlessly.

Ease of use

  • Services synchronize with your Microsoft Active Directory, so you maintain control and can continue to manage user policies centrally
  • A single administrative panel enables simple and centralized provisioning and management of new and existing users
  • End users can securely access the service virtually anywhere without the need for a VPN connection and through a wide selection of mobile
    devices

Privacy & rapid disaster recovery

  • Secure Internet protocols including HTTPS and HTTP over SSL to access your services
  • Redundant network architecture capable of disaster recovery
  • In the event of datacenter connectivity issues, services switch over to a backup datacenter

Greater flexibility

  • Build your own solution with individual services or purchase as an integrated suite
  • Choose to run some applications on-premises, or choose Online Services hosted and managed by Microsoft or Microsoft Partners
  • Leverage tools such as Active Directory Synchronization so you can make online, on-premises, or hybrid deployment choices by service, user roles,
    and geography to meet organizational needs best
  • Adjust your deployment model dynamically as your business needs shift and grow

Improved agility

  • Easily extend new capabilities to your organization without straining internal resources
  • Expand your IT capacity by adding new services without investing in the development of new skills or deploying new hardware and software
  • Free your valuable IT resources from routine management tasks to focus on core business initiatives that can deliver a true competitive
    advantage

Security & reliability

  • Microsoft Online Services run on a global network of data centers protected by multiple layers of security and operational best practices
  • Microsoft Online Services guarantee a service level agreement of 99.9% uptime
  • Data centers and services managed by rigorously screened and highly trained staff

Microsoft Lync 2010 – Discovering the product

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Awaiting for this product from Microsoft is over, Communications Server 2010, also called Wave 14 – renamed to Microsoft Lync Server 2010. Microsoft has announced that the new 2010 edition has been released to manufacturing (RTM). The official launch event was on November 17th 2010,  so I am sure now that those who have Software assurance, will be downloading now and preparing for the installation/migration.

Microsoft Lync Server 2010 communications software offers instant messaging (IM), presence, conferencing, and telephony solutions that can support enterprise-level collaboration requirements. This is  only available in 64-bit edition , it requires 64-bit hardware and the 64-bit edition of the Windows Server operating system.  Client computers does not required to have 64-bit hardware or software.

Features and capabilities of Microsoft Lync Server 2010 communications software clients in the following categories:

  • Presence
  • Contacts and groups
  • Instant messaging
  • Conferencing
  • Telephony
  • External user support
  • Mobile access
  • Archiving and compliance
Client Comparison Tables for the above from Microsoft site, click here.
Microsoft Lync 2010 : The default client for Lync Server 2010 meetings. Features include presence, contact management, instant messaging (IM), telephony, and greatly enhanced conferencing. To implement the manager/delegate scenario with Lync 2010, both manager and delegate need to install and use Lync 2010.
 
 
Microsoft Lync 2010 Attendee  : This is a rich conferencing client that allows users without Lync 2010 installed to fully participate in Lync Server 2010 meetings. Lync 2010 Attendee can be installed on a per-user basis, so you can choose to selectively deploy this client, or you can allow users to download and install it as needed.
 
Microsoft Lync Web App : This is a web-based conferencing client that supports most Lync 2010 collaboration and sharing features, in addition to presenter meeting controls and dial-in and dial-out voice conferencing. For users who do not have Lync 2010 installed, you can offer this conferencing option when it isn’t practical or possible to install Lync 2010 Attendee. All of the in-meeting features except computer audio, video, and PowerPoint presentations are available to Lync Web App users.
 
 Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Attendant  : This is an integrated call management application that enables a receptionist to manage multiple conversations at the same time through rapid call handling, IM, and on-screen routing. Although previous versions of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Attendant supported both manager/delegate scenarios and receptionist scenarios, Microsoft Lync 2010 Attendant is designed for the receptionist scenario only. If necessary, a delegate can use Lync 2010 Attendant to receive calls for the manager, but delegate features are now provided in Lync 2010
  
Microsoft Lync 2010 Mobile : This provides IM, enhanced presence, and telephony for users in your organization who are connecting from a smartphone or a phone running a Professional edition of Windows Mobile.
 
Microsoft Lync 2010 Phone Edition : This software that runs on intelligent Internet Protocol (IP) phones (for example, USB-attached phones), and supports placing and receiving calls, enhanced presence, and client audio capabilities for conferences.
 
The Online Meeting Add-in for Microsoft Lync 2010 : This supports meeting management from within Outlook. This software is installed automatically with Lync 2010
Microsoft now recently announced that there will be an iPhone client available in addition to Windows Mobile for Microsoft Lync Server 2010.  Maybe an Android client will be next!!! Good to hear that.
  
What Lync comes with the new features !!! : There are a lot of enhancements to existing product, on server side definitely there are lot of architectural changes related to Management, Deployment, Bandwidth Resilency and Branch office redundancy mainly for call route.,  and last but not least Shell command and a basic configuration through web control panel (Commmunications Server Control Panel [CSCP] ).
Plus
  • Publish your photo using sharepoint and others can view your pictures on their client
  •  Lync client can now join the Live meeting
  • Administrative jobs have to be done through Microsoft Lync Shell Command
  • Basic configurations  through web control panel
  • Branch office resilency call route feature
  • Virtualized topology of Microsoft Lync Server 2010
  •  Active Directory for storing Lync server configurtaion has been moved into a new database server Central Management Server which hosts Central Management Store db. in SQL…but some of the info like SIP URI and phone numbers are still in AD.
  • Mediation Server can route calls to Multiple Gateways..sounds nice
  • The Lync clients can now be directly updated using windows software update service or windows update.
  • ……more to go…i will update you over here
FEW USEFUL LINK
 
Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Planning Tool Release Candidate..Click here Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Planning Tool, which is available in a 32-bit edition.
Lync Server 2010 documentation library, Click here
To successfully migrate user and client settings from Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 to Lync Server 2010 click here
Migration from Office Communications Server 2007 R2 to Lync Server 2010, click here 
Official Microsoft Lync Page click here
This is not enough for me..more to come…i will be opening a page dedicated for Lync installation…catch you later..watch my space.

Microsoft Office 365…whaooo

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Microsoft Office 365 - Online Services & Hosted Software in the Cloud

What is this?????

Microsoft Office 365 delivers the power of cloud productivity to businesses of all sizes, helping to save time and money and free up valuable resources. Office 365 combines the familiar Microsoft Office desktop suite with online versions of our next-generation communications and collaboration services: Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft SharePoint Online, and Microsoft Lync Online. Office 365 services are easy to administer and simple to use—with the robust security, reliability, and control you need to run your business

Microsoft Office 365 includes: Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Lync Online and the latest version of Microsoft Office Professional Plus desktop suite.

Microsoft Exchange Online is designed for organizations who want to get the benefits of cloud-based email without sacrificing the business-class capabilities that Exchange Server has been providing for decades. Built on Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Online provides organizations with the latest capabilities including built-in archiving, optional Conversation View, and MailTips, along with powerful web-based tools for managing online deployments.  With Exchange Online, Microsoft handles the ongoing maintenance, patches, and upgrades of the Exchange infrastructure while providing IT administrators the control and flexibility they require.

Microsoft Lync Online is a next-generation cloud communications service that connects people in new ways, anytime, from anywhere. Lync Online provides intuitive communications capabilities across presence, instant messaging, audio/video calling and a rich online meeting experience including PC-audio, video and web conferencing. Transform your interactions with colleagues, customers and partners from today’s hit-and-miss communication to a more collaborative, engaging, and effective experience.

Office 365 is the introduction of new productivity online services and capabilities. It provides new online platform capabilities related to the introduction of the latest underlying 2010 server software into Microsoft Online Services datacenters.  The limited beta release will be offered in following languages: Chinese (traditional), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish.

To know more..click here and to follow their blog, click here

Office 365 will be available for purchase in 2011.

Enterprise customers can contact a Microsoft sales representative or Microsoft partner directly for purchase details..to know about volume licensing, click here

Disclosed Communications Server “14” @Tech•Ed North America 2010

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Tech•Ed North America 2010 ( New Orleans, June 7-10th) is done and they disclosed Communications Server “14” features and functionality during the event.  You can catch presentation on-demand at Tech•Ed Online..Whats new in Communication 14 Video

Microsoft Communications ‘14’ really delivers on that promise of a more connected experience for people that want to stay plugged in to what’s going on, even when they are not there. The new collab experience is great. Having PowerPoint, the RoundTable view, and IM all in one view is great.

Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 1 – Sneak-peak

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Exchange Team Blog that provides the first public details about Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 1 (SP1).  SP1 will of course include fixes and enhancements in the areas customers have helped us identify (including code from all of the Exchange 2010 post RTM update rollups we’ve released to date).  But SP1 will also include some new features and functionality changes, as well….cool

  • A new search preview helps with early case assessment by providing you an estimate on the number of items in the result set-with keyword statistics-before e-mail located in the search are copied to the designated discovery mailbox.
  • And, a new search result de-duplication option, when checked, only copies one instance of a message to the discovery mailbox.

Look at the below  menu for the DAG…what a cool feature it will be

With the release of Exchange Server 2010 last November, Microsoft introduced integrated archiving capabilities aimed at helping you preserve and discover e-mail data. In SP1, this has enhanced its archiving functionality based on the great feedback you’they got since the launch. This includes adding the flexibility to provision a user’s Personal Archive to a different mailbox database from their primary mailbox. This means your organization can now more easily implement separate storage strategies (or tiered storage) for less frequently accessed e-mail. And, we didn’t just stop there! We’ve also added new server side capabilities so you can import historical e-mail data from .PST files, directly into Exchange, as well as IT pro controls to enable delegate access to a user’s Personal Archive.

To help streamline the implementation of retention policies, SP1 updates the Exchange Management Console with new tools to create Retention Policy Tags, so you can automate the deletion and archiving of e-mail and other Exchange items. New optional Retention Policy Tags give you even more flexibility in defining your organizations retention management strategy….coooool

Can’t wait to get hold of this…Announcement blog from Microsoft Exhange Team …click here Yes Virginia, there is an Exchange Server 2010 SP1

Learn more about our approach to archiving by reading the Archiving with Exchange 2010 whitepaper.

Scott Schnoll’s weblog…click here

Free Microsoft Office Web Apps Available

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Microsoft launched its free Windows Live versions of Office Web Apps on Monday…click here to know more

The new service is currently available in English for Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Canadians can access a French version too; a Spanish version is also available for the United States. Office Web Apps are simplified versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote that run in supported Web browsers. These applications use the “Ribbon” user interface menu system that was first introduced in Office 2007. Users need to sign up for a Windows Live password to access the service, but it’s all free. The service can be accessed anywhere using a supported browser and an Internet connection at http://www.office.live.com. Smartphone users can view Word and PowerPoint files without additional software on most devices, according to Microsoft’s announcement. Printing files in Word and PowerPoint Web Apps can be done right from the browser. Office Web Apps are tied to SkyDrive, Microsoft’s storage space in the Internet cloud. SkyDrive provides Office Web App users with 25 GB of storage space, which can be used to save files and share them with others. A coauthoring feature is available, but just for Excel and OneNote. Microsoft claims that users can collaborate on a document at the same time and not be locked out, even as various people try to access it. In addition, Office Web Apps preserves a version history, which is saved on SkyDrive.