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.

Skype is the communications hub that brings people together. With over two billion minutes used, it is a true testament to the effectiveness and its ease of use. Whether making a voice or video call, sending an instant message, connecting with business partners, stakeholders and customers has never been easier.

Do you have a contact center that supports connecting with your clients at such superior level? Contact us for direction on how to get there.

Lync - Skype connectivity for presence, IM and voice will be available to all Lync users. This move will begin to enable what we call B2X. B2X places the focus of business communication on enabling human interactions. B2X puts people first and looks at communications in a unified way, not as disparate technology silos focused on one task or protocol. Computer Talk is your gateway to unified communications.

ice Contact Center With Microsoft Lync Embedded

Key Differentiators

What is special about being Lync embedded?

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: