Yesterday, the Microsoft Lync Mobile client for Windows Phone finally got released, just making it out in the “Q4 2011” that was promised earlier this year. After making the server side changes a couple of days ahead of time, I got a chance to try the client out yesterday, and see what it can do.

First, when you log in, the client asks about setting up a single number reach, which is really just setting up Simultaneous Ring for your mobile number. This feature has been there since day one, but if nothing else, having it front and centre like this will expose it to people that have never used it before.

One of the biggest changes that bringing a system like Microsoft Lync into the enterprise does is introduce the concept of presence.  Now presence is nothing new-public IM systems and gaming platforms have had it for years, and even many offices had “analogue presence” with an in/out board or other mechanism to know who was where and when.  It’s reasonably easy to dismiss presence as a gimmick until you live with it for a week. Then you’ll wonder how you got on without it.  Here’s a couple of examples of why presence matters: