ComputerTalk will be participating at a ‘steak-n-learn’ – Magenium’s Lync 2013 Luncheon on June 12.

We will be joining Microsoft Lync Specialist Tom Egan, along with speakers from Magenium Solutions, AudioCodes, IntelePeer, and Plantronics on June 12, 2013, at Gibson’s Bar and Steakhouse in Oak Brook, Illinois, for a Lync 2013 luncheon.

While attendees enjoy a three-course lunch,  the speakers will be showing how Lync 2013 can transform your user experience by making communication interactions more collaborative, more engaging, and more accessible. During our presentation, we discuss the uses of Lync 2013 by demonstrating how applications and contact center solutions on Lync will enable unique interactions with customers.

For more information, visit here (link: http://magenium.com/en/News-And-Events/Events-Listing/2013/May/Unified-Communications-with-Microsoft-Lync-2013-Luncheon.aspx. )

Don't miss out as space is limited - register now (link:  http://mslync2013.eventbrite.com/ )

At the recent Lync release Derek Burney (Corporate VP, Microsoft Lync & Microsoft Office Data) took the center stage showcasing Microsoft Lync 2013 fully running on Microsoft’s cloud-based Office 365. This integration will be implemented across the service within the next 18 months.

Here are the highlights of the items demonstrated at the release event:

• The ease with which a new user can be added to an Office 365 account with whatever Office application license.
  
  
• Using Lync on array of mobile clients. Starting obviously with a Windows phone to Android and iPhones. He expressed that the client retains its “Lync-ness” while still adapting to the design of each mobile operating system. Creating ease of use and comfort.
  
  
• Discussion of Lync Web app for browsers. Allowing any user join a meeting from a PC or Mac browser
  
  
• WebRTC – the Web Real Time Communication and the premise to support this exciting initiative in the near future once standard is ratified
  
  
• Focus on moving Microsoft Lync into the conference room. Using two large touch-screen displays, Burney demonstrated how with single-touch to join a meeting and then designate one screen to video and the other to electronic virtual whiteboard. This allowed for note taking of the meeting eliminating the need to take pictures of the old-fashioned whiteboard.

While the demo wasn’t groundbreaking, the overall delivery signified the fulfillment of the vision Microsoft had for Lync. They have delivered a UC system that can provide voice as well as IM/Presence, video, desktop sharing and overall all elements of modern communications system. It can run on all the major platforms whether desktop or mobile and now is moving into conference rooms. The success and popularity of Microsoft Lync keeps on growing and enhancing.

Contact us if you need help implementing Microsoft Lync and Office 365 with your contact center.

ComputerTalk’s hosted ice Lync cloud can connect with your cloud for added communication features.

Adding communication capabilities to your contact center and day-to-day business processes can help drive business results and help you exceed customer expectations.  If you are looking for a full end-to-end unified communications solution for your office and contact center, combine Office 365 with ice in the ComputerTalk cloud.

You can also come to us for help in meeting technology goals.

If you are looking to replace your PBX with an IP-PBX, we can provide telephony expertise, so you can become SIP voice-enabled at the speed you choose. Once the transition is complete, you can take advantage of the benefits of SIP telephony in your office and in your contact center.

If your cloud is missing certain contact center or communication pieces, you can connect to ours for all the products listed in the ComputerTalk cloud (i.e. PCI compliant contact center, Lync IP PBX, ice, applications that make your processes more communications conscious.)

We can also work with you to provide your customers a joint offering.

Questions?  Send it to us using the Message Us section.

How can Unified Communications (UC) actually improve a business?  Chris Griffith shares specifics on how UC helped Expert Service Providers LLC, where Griffith was a managing member and chief operating officer.  With efficient communication as a primary goal, UC's streamlining of emails, faxes, or video conferencing reaped dividends for ESP - keeping employees and customers connected, improving response times, overall professional conduct, and security.

In the modern marketplace, as more and more employees adapt the Bring your Own Device (BYOD) culture, there are myriad communication options including instant messaging, video phone, VoIP, email, and many more.  UC eliminated delayed transmissions for ESP by, well, unifying communications; allowing real-time contact regardless of the platform - an issue that could cause serious delays in the past.  And UC coordinates critical communications, which syncs PDAs, fax, and video conferencing, with clients and staff when on the road.

Small and medium businesses reluctant to deploy Unified Communications (UC) because of integration costs might soon begin to reconsider.

UC lets employees work, collaborate, engage, and communicate faster and more efficiently.  Time saved by integrating systems that have traditionally sponged up significant batches of time on a daily basis frees that time to be allotted to more critical, meaningful work.

While deciding on a system might seem overwhelming initially, consultancy groups advocate approaching UC as a business strategy, rather than simply as a solution.  And the options are vast.

UC's conferencing and collaboration allow video-chat, file-sharing, and web-conferencing on your desk-top in real-time.  Unified messaging integrates email, mobile communications, messaging, voicemail and email etc, making all accessible any time, anywhere, from any device.  And an IP PBX, a switch which enables UC systems to connect to each other, can connect a phone system through a VoIP PBX hosting provider to reduce dropped calls and increase overall call quality.

Faster, smoother communication no doubt creates a competitive advantage, such that business managers might be wise to consider UC options and the potential impact on productivity and profits.

Learn how you can enhance your business with Lync and ice Contact Center.

If you are a frequent user of Microsoft Lync for hosting web conferences then you must have encountered situations where the attendees cannot join the Lync web conference, or if they do, they cannot see your shared content. Another scenario, is that you get a networking error in Lync, when you try to share your content. These type of connectivity errors are often because of firewall restrictions, or incorrect network routing rules - somewhere between you and the attendee.

I have found that the Lync web client almost always works in these situations. However, attendees often have Lync installed already, so they don’t get the choice to connect via the Lync web client. According to Jeff Guillet, (http://www.expta.com/2011/12/how-to-force-using-lync-web-app.html) there is a way to force attendees and presenters to connect via the Lync web client. “To do this”, Jeff blogs, “simply add ?sl= to the meeting URL.”

For example,   https://meet.computer-talk.com/meet/dmenard/VFXXXM0Q?sl=

This will open the following form: