Greetings! 

Welcome to the Cloud/Skype/Lync User Forum  click here for website.  

    

Cool idea or offer of the week goes to IAS with their Free Hosted Lync Proof of Concept Offer (click on logo for offer)  "Microsoft Unified Communications (UC) technologies are now serving thousands of companies all over the world and we believe that a Proof of Concept is the way to demonstrate the relevance of Microsoft's approach to UC; therefore we would like to give you the opportunity to take Microsoft Lync for a test drive.

Here's the deal:

• 30-day 5 User Microsoft Lync trial
• One HP Netbook or Vizio Tablet Loaded with Lync Client
• Certificate for 5 Jabra USB Lync Optimized Devices
• 1/2 Day Lync and Exchange UM Envisioning and Planning Session
• Remote End User Training or Instructions provided

*Available to qualified companies with 250 or more users. Other qualifying criteria may apply.

Our goal is to find applications, solutions, tech, users and other content on Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft Lync, Amazon, Kinect, Twitter, SharePoint & Skype.  We want hear from you about great ideas on the WWW-wild wild web of internet communications and online cloud, SaaS and other hot tech solutions.  Send your ideas and products anytime.  

 

Gold Systems, a leader in self-service customer communications using Interactive Voice Response (IVR) solutions announced that they have achieved the Microsoft Unified Communications Gold Competency.  "We have certified Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCP's) who have passed new UC competency evaluations. In addition, our sales experts have passed the sales and marketing assessment to achieve this goal as well as the required number of customer recommendations," noted Terry Gold CEO. "We have a strong professional services group that is skilled in both the migration from traditional PBX systems as well as the implementation of new Lync greenfield installations," Gold added. Gold systems has also partnered with other unified communications industry leaders to provide - start-to-finish, side-by-side and over-the-shoulder professional services.  Gold has indepth knowledge of media gateways, session border controllers, end points, SIP trunking and other options to maximize the range of customer settings from SMB to large-enterprise. For more information on Gold Professional Services, please email websales@goldsys.com.

Lync Integrated Incident Instant Messaging - IIIM    

The UK's leading incident management and roadside assistance provider FMG, is using Vantage from Actiance to augment security and compliance controls as it upgrades its unified communications to Lync.  Lync is extremely effective as a unified communications (UC) platform, but it does not natively provide the capabilities to meet the corporate governance best practices that FMG Support follows, nor does it prevent users from using unauthorized public real-time communications. 

Vantage from Actiance enables FMG Support to set acceptable use policies for each employee, such as what departments can communicate with each other, which applications are approved for use on the enterprise network and what types of information are restricted from leaving the organization.  Vantage's centralised policy setting mechanism recognises not only Lync, but other UC platforms, public instant messaging (IM) services and other Web 2.0 applications, allowing FMG Support to manage its collaborative communications environment with ease.  "Federating will make it easier for us to collaborate and work more closely with our partners, while maintaining a corporate standard of communication, but we can also see that it will open the door to an increased risk of data leakage and malware," says Jamie Shields, IT Professional of FMG Support. "In addition we also wanted the ability to effectively archive conversations made over Lync. We have set procedures for any changes to contracts or other legally binding documents, but that doesn't mean that someone might not accidentally say something over Group Chat that might be misconstrued. Actiance gives us the ability to go back to that message months or even years later to review what was actually said and to look at the context of the message."

Lync Web-Widget Get Your Presence On   

There is not a lot of text with this, nor did the provider response to an inquiry but thought it is a cool app for anyone seeking integration between the web and a contact center using Lync.  They indicate, "The Lync Presence widget shows Lync presence information on your website. Website visitors can start chat conversations using the Lync Chat widget. The widgets are jQuery plugins communicating with a WCF Service. Place them on any kind of website (PHP, .NET) and style with CSS."

Features  

- Fully customizable styling: The client is simply HTML/JS/CSS so very easy to skin.  

- Deployable on any website using any technology: No ASP.NET required at the client side.

You can get a demo at

One Last Look - 4 "Do or Die" Tips to Make your Microsoft Lync Implementation Smooth 

An edited article provided by Enabling Technologies.  It is a bit much to say "die," however, maybe you could or would lose your job if you don't get this and many other things completed successfully for a proper migration to Lync.  I like the term RGE-resume generating event to be used if you fail to get it done right.  Here are there "do or die" tips: 

1 - Proper Planning cannot be overlooked. We are currently making an Architectural Review Session mandatory to insure a smooth implementation. Not only does the planning insure "no surprises" in deployment but we have found ways to leverage your existing architecture or even reduce its usage. When doing the ADS-Architectural Design Session with one client we were able to discontinue 30 T1 lines by introducing SIP Trunking at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Many clients are shocked to learn how much they will save thousands by using Lync client for free instead of paying for Webex or Go to Meeting/Assist.

2 - Get your Active Directory (AD) in order. While you are at it you might also clean up - DNS (domain name service) and Routing as well. By doing this you will save yourself lots of headaches and "gotchas" with the deployment. This may sound as a given but we have done hundreds of implementations and it can be a problem.

3 - You need to know that Lync touches several IT groups in your organization and the teams have to work together so there aren't delays for implementation: Server, Storage, DBA (database administrator), AD & DNS, Certificates, Network, Security, Telephony, etc. When the groups work together it makes the implementation smoother but more productive because often they find better processes which increase productivity. For example: our CEBP (communications enabled business processes a communications applications development platform from Microsoft) application ETC Timetracker (click on image for website) has enabled Law firms to track all the time used via Lync whether it's IM, VoIP Calls, emails etc. The application automatically populates their time and billing database with the hours so the Lawyers do not have to track their time. The firm has then streamlined their accounting and improves cash flow. So, with the inclusion of Lync and ETC TimeTracker, the accounting team must be in on at least some of the initial implementation talks for input. A CEBP application could be made for your particular circumstances as well by our DEV team.

4 - Have a UC Strategy (or engage Enabling to assist you in coming up with a UC Strategy) - who will get what features, what is the end user adoption/training plan, how will you manage and support it? It's very important to start with the right group when deploying: like the Sales team or a project group that needs to collaborate efficiently. When the right group has a good experience they tell the others and this increases adoption easily. People will be coming to you to get Lync instead of the other way around. It's also important to pick a consultant or systems integrator that has a support practice in house so if you run into difficulties you can have them resolved quickly. One of our clients said that he picked Enabling for our Managed Services because he knew that our support desk could always call upon our field engineers for expertise if needed. This is true especially if you are using Lync for Enterprise Voice. At a recent conference I heard one CIO say the "Messing with people's phones can be CIO suicide" so it's REALLY important to have 24 x 7 x 365 coverage or managed service with monitoring etc. etc. for the voice piece especially.

Certainly you have to decide if you think you will "die" (or lose your job) if you don't do these but who's to argue that Lync migration is not for the fool-hardy.   

Migrating to Microsoft Lync?  

AudioCodes Survivable Branch Appliances (SBA) and Media Gateways for Microsoft Lync - the preferred integration solution for branch office survivability (SBA), connectivity and interoperability with SIP Trunks, PBXs, IP-PBXs and other legacy systems.  

Marketing Communications Solutions

There are a number of other marcom solutions available such as:  

- Newsletters (e.g. private label version of Lync User Forum)  

      from Constant Contact Certified Experts click here 

- Webseminars ("Highest Scores Ever" - Microsoft)

- Customer Case Studies ("Best Customer Case Study' - Broadsoft)

- White Papers (Top-10 Tips for VoIP Implementation - XO)

- SEO (top placement of key words in Google), e.g. Google  IVR Lync

- Social marketing (Twitter, social media course) see my Twitter account @techtionary

- Social media training (course evaluations available)

- Articles - email for example

- Press Releases (email for examples)

- Training - your courses

- Course development new courses (Qwest, Microsoft, others)

- Elearning course development and delivery (Qwest)

- Videos

- Consulting (product, strategic planning, crossnetpoints model)

 Email today to get help cross@gocross.com

Get Lync Smart: TECHnet click on image for link           

Here's a great place to get Lync Smart. I particularly like the labs and podcasts (which you can download and take with you).  

Webcasts 

Tune in as Microsoft subject-matter experts present product overviews and strategies for improving productivity and driving down costs. Webcasts include technical presentations about configuring, securing, and extending your unified communications infrastructure.

Videos 

Learn smart strategies, get new insights, and stay up-to-date on Microsoft tools, technologies, and services. Stream or download a video today.  

Virtual Labs 

Test drive Microsoft's unified communications solutions in a virtual lab. It's simple-no complex setup or installation is required. You get a downloadable manual and a 90-minute block of time for each module, and you can sign up for additional 90-minute blocks anytime.

Podcasts 

Stream or download these audio podcasts on to your favorite podcast software or mobile device. These podcasts are free and do not require registration-just click, listen, and learn.

Here's from one of the labs I explore: The New Enterprise Voice Features of Microsoft Lync Server 2010.   Microsoft Lync Server 2010 introduces the ability to give users a second, private telephone line in addition to the primary telephone line. Private telephone lines are often assigned to executives and others who want an unlisted telephone number at which they can be reached directly.  Private telephone lines can only be configured with the Lync Server Management Shell.   

Lync Forum Jobs Board

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Jobs added for free on Lync Forum website

Jobs added in Newsletter for a fee.

Email links to your jobs to cross@gocross.com

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