Lync Team Blog

Lync Mobile Push Notifications

2013-05-02T23:01:01Z

By Girija Bhagavatula, Senior Program Manager, Lync Server Team

If you are a Lync Mobile user on Windows Phone or iOS then you should be aware that starting June 1^st it is possible that some of you might see errors in receiving push notifications to your device. The most likely reason for that may be your system administrator has not updated the required certificates for enabling the federation between your on-premise Lync Server deployment and the Lync Push Notifications Clearing House service in Office 365. The certificate update itself is a very easy process and you can refer your system administrator to the next section titled “Certificate Update” for more details. Most of you will not even see this issue since your system administrator would likely have updated these certificates as part of a Windows Update.

Certificate Update

As part of our ongoing commitment to security Lync team is making a change to the SSL certificate chain that will require our customers and partners to take action before June 1st, 2013. Lync Servers currently use the GTE CyberTrust Global Root and beginning on June 1st, 2013 will migrate to the Baltimore CyberTrust Root. The new root certificate uses a stronger key length and hashing algorithm which ensures we remain consistent with industry-wide security best practices. If your service does not accept certificates chained to both the GTE CyberTrust Global Root and the Baltimore CyberTrust Root, please take action prior to June 1st, 2013 to avoid certificate validation errors. While we seek to minimize the need for customers to take specific action based on changes we make to Lync Server, we believe this is an important security improvement. The Baltimore CyberTrust Root can be downloaded from https://cacert.omniroot.com/bc2025.crt.

The migration of Lync Online Service to use the new Baltimore trusted root Certificate Authority is planned during May 2013. As of June 1st 2013, all of our servers including the Lync Push Notifications Clearing House Service will be on Baltimore certs only. So please ensure that your Lync Server deployments have been updated to trust the Baltimore Root before that.

As an IT Admin, if you perform Windows Updates regularly:

· All you would have to do is validate that the new Baltimore Root cert is already present in the “(LocalComputer) Trusted Root Certification Authorities” cert store on each Microsoft facing Server.

If you do not perform Windows Updates regularly and/or new Baltimore Root cert is not appearing in cert trusted root store:

· You can perform Windows Update for this requirement or import the Baltimore Root to each Microsoft facing Server. You can download the Baltimore Root cert from here.

Push Notifications Flow

If you are wondering about all the jargon around push notifications and have often wondered how the incoming notifications are being delivered to you on the mobile device. Let me take this opportunity to give you an overview. The mechanism used to deliver the incoming notifications to your device differs based on which version of Lync mobile client you are currently using.

In this blog, I’ll cover Push Notifications which is the primary mechanism to deliver notifications on Windows Phone (both Lync Mobile 2013 and 2010) and iPhone/ iPad (Lync Mobile 2010 only). If you are a Lync Mobile 2010 user then Windows Phone and iPhone/ iPad use Microsoft Push Notification (MPNS) and Apple Push Notification (APNS) service respectively. However, if you have recently upgraded your client to Lync Mobile 2013 on iPhone and iPad then you no longer have any dependency on the Apple Push Notification server and instead the notifications are directly delivered to the Lync mobile client using background VoIP sockets. I’ll leave the VoIP socket discussion for a future topic.

The following table captures the different mechanisms used based on your Lync Mobile client and Lync Server versions.

	Lync Server 2010	Lync Server 2013
Lync Mobile 2010 on iPhone/iPad	Apple Push Notifications	Apple Push Notifications
Lync Mobile 2010 on WP7	Microsoft Push Notifications	Microsoft Push Notifications
Lync Mobile 2013 on iPhone/iPad	N/A*	Background VoIP socket
Lync Mobile 2013 on WP7	N/A*	Microsoft Push Notifications

N/A* - you cannot use a Lync Mobile 2013 client against a Lync Server 2010 deployment

At a very high level, most mobile systems don’t allow applications to run in the background to save battery and bandwidth costs. So when you press the home button your Lync app goes into a suspended state and hence can no longer communicate to the corresponding web service in our case the Lync Server. This poses a challenge, Lync being a real-time communication application has the need to receive asynchronous updates from the server for any incoming call or IM. The Push Notification services allows Lync Server to send notifications to the Windows Phone and iPhone/iPad even when the Lync mobile application is in the background and hence not running.

Given that Lync is an Enterprise application with deployments across multiple enterprises and locations it made sense to centralize the push notifications delivery from the various on-premise Lync Server deployments to the MPNS and APNS. The Lync Push Notifications Clearing House service which is hosted in Office 365 centralizes the notification delivery and helps to isolate on-premise deployments of Lync Server from direct communication with MPNS and APNS. Because Lync uses a secure connection to MPNS and APNS, Microsoft can maintain the certificates needed to authenticate with MPNS and APNS on behalf of all on-premise Lync Servers. The communication between the on-premise deployments of Lync Server and the Lync Push Notifications Clearing House is handled through SIP federation. This federation is same as the one you experience when you communicate with your Lync buddies in a different enterprise or in Lync Online or when connecting to your friends on Windows Live. Starting June 1^st if you see errors in receiving push notifications to your device or failing to contact your federated buddies in Lync Online, then it is possible that your admin has not updated the required certificates for enabling this SIP federation between your on-premise Lync Server deployment and the Lync Push Notifications Clearing House service in Office 365 that I had talked about earlier in the blog. See the section titled “Certificate update” for more details.

As an example, in case of Windows Phone user receiving an IM, the invite would flow from the on-premise Lync Server 2010 or 2013 deployment to the Lync Push Notification Clearing House service in Office 365 from where it would be forwarded to the Microsoft Push Notifications Service. From the Microsoft Push Notification Service the invite will be delivered to the Windows Phone device and a notification will be displayed to the user.

If you are a Lync Mobile 2013 user the following diagram illustrates how the Push Notification Service fits within a Lync Server 2013 topology running UC Web API and Lync 2013 Mobile clients.

If you are a Lync Mobile 2010 user the following diagram illustrates the Push Notification Service as it applies to a Lync Server 2010 topology running the Mobility Service and Lync 2010 Mobile clients.

For more information you can refer to the Lync Server blog on Push notifications.

Viewing Shared Media Content in Lync 2013 for iPad

2013-03-28T20:26:16Z

By Roshin Lal Ramesan, Senior Program Manager, Lync Mobile Team

When you’re in a Lync online meeting using Lync 2013 app for iPad, you can view shared PowerPoint presentations and see desktop and applications shared in the meeting. Viewing of content is supported while attending Lync meetings or ad-hoc audio or video conference calls with 3 or more people. You cannot present meeting content from Lync for iPad.

You can view shared desktop or applications while attending meetings hosted on Lync 2010 server or Lync 2013 server, viewing of uploaded PowerPoint presentations are supported when attending meetings hosted on Lync 2013 server.

While viewing shared content, the backlight is kept on so that you can view the content without the iPad screen dimming or turning off. The on-screen controls also disappear after a short timeout so that you can focus on the content without distractions (a light tap on the screen will bring back the controls when you need it).

When controls are visible (tap screen once if they are not), tap Stop Viewing to stop viewing content. To resume viewing (if content is still being presented) tap the Sharing icon on the top (icon next to video) and then select Start Viewing.

While viewing shared desktop or applications, if the remote screen resolution is greater than iPad resolution (1024 * 768), the content will be scaled down and shown in “fit to screen” mode by default so that you can view the content in its entirety. You can double tap on the screen to view at sharer’s original resolution (“actual size” in Lync parlance) and pan the screen to locate and view content of interest. Or just pinch and zoom the shared screen to find the optimal size you prefer between “fit to screen” and “actual size”.

If the remote party is sharing a specific application which does not take up the entire desktop, you will see the shared application within a larger empty canvas that corresponds to the sharer’s desktop size. Similarly, if the sharer has multiple monitors and is sharing an application on one monitor, you will see the application within a bigger canvas on iPad. In such cases, use the pinch and zoom gesture to increase the size of the shared content to fill the iPad screen.

Note: Lync for iPad does not support viewing or adding annotations on PowerPoint and requesting or taking control during sharing.

Viewing content over Cellular Data connection

Lync iPad app provides a setting to disable viewing of shared content in meetings while attending a meeting over cellular data connection to reduce data usage. This setting, “Require Wi-Fi for Meeting Content” can be found under Options on a Wi-Fi + 3G capable iPad. Default value for this setting is OFF, which means that presented content is shown while attending meetings on cellular data connection. If “Require Wi-Fi for Meeting Content” setting is ON, shared content in meeting will not be shown when you attend a meeting over cellular data network.

2013 is the Year to Move Forward with Lync Enterprise Voice

2013-03-26T16:46:00Z

By Giovanni Mezgec, GM, Lync Marketing

Last week, I attended Enterprise Connect 2013, the largest conference focusing on the unified communications industry. When Microsoft first came to this show many years ago, we were considered an outsider and many people wondered if our vision of using software to deliver a truly unified communications platform was even feasible.

It’s clear now that we’re considered a leader in unified communications, with a compelling enterprise voice platform and incredible customer momentum. During the conference, Derek Burney was able to give a live demonstration of Lync 2013 — proving that we’ve brought this unique vision to life. I encourage you to watch the keynote for a guided tour of the best that Lync has to offer.

This doesn’t mean that our work is done and customers don’t still have questions for us — the one I heard most at Enterprise Connect was about the Cloud and their desire to purchase Lync Enterprise Voice “as a Service.” Having started with IM/P and perhaps Conferencing, many customers now see the advantages of consolidating their PBXs and using the full power of Lync for Enterprise Voice. However, they are unsure of how to move forward with their existing infrastructure without adding even more complexity to their environment.

The fact is, Lync allows enterprises to move to the Cloud today — on their terms and at their own pace. We enable this by working closely with Cloud Service Providers to let customer requirements determine if Lync should be managed in their own on-premise datacenter, hosted in a partner’s cloud, or delivered by Lync Online as part of Microsoft Office 365.

On this topic, I want to highlight two announcements made at the conference from two of our strategic partners, AT&T and HP, who announced support for customers regardless of whether they choose to deploy Lync. These partners join other market leaders such as BT, Dimension Data, OBS and T-Systems, plus many other Lync Certified Support Partners to offer the IT integration, network management, and end-to-end support that makes Lync a fully reliable and scalable platform to meet your current and future communication needs.

If you are thinking about how to modernize your organization’s communication platform, please contact your Microsoft account executive who, along with your preferred Service Provider, can get you started with an envisioning workshop and network assessment.

--Giovanni

Lync 2013 Mobile: Starting, adding and switching between communication methods

2013-03-19T21:50:58Z

By Angela Chin, Program Manager, Lync Mobile Team

Lync’s mobile clients now have voice and video over wireless as well as IM all in one place. You can start, add and switch been each of these communication methods easily from within your application. Switching between conversations on Lync mobile is also quick and easy.

Starting and adding communication modes

The easiest way to start an IM, voice or video conversation is from a contact card. You can launch a contact card from you Contacts list, conference participants lists and several other places within the app. Once you’ve found the right contact, tap on the button that corresponds to type of conversation you’d like to have. Audio and video calls will start right away. To start an IM conversation, just send your first message.

If you already have a conversation going with someone and you’d like to add a call or IM to the conversation you can do so from the buttons in your iOS navigation bar or WP application bar.

If someone else in the conversation has already started showing their video and you want to add your own video you can do it from your video call controls on screen.

Controlling your call when after it’s started

After you audio or video call is started all of your call controls can be found on screen. From these controls you can place the call on hold, turn on and off speakerphone, launch the dial pad, control your video and end the call. If you are in a video call, your call controls will fade out after a few seconds. Just tap the screen to bring them back. Your mute button is always located in the top right corner, even when other call controls fade away.

Navigating between modalities in the same conversation

If a conversation has both IM and voice or video you can use the iOS navigation bar or WP application bar buttons to help you navigate between modes. For example, if you’re watching the video in a call, but would like to read a new IM in the same conversation you can tap the IM button to display IMs for that conversation. You can also move between IM and audio/video by swiping left or right on the screen.

Quickly go back to a call

If you need to look up a contact’s information or leave the conversation window for some other reason it’s easy to quickly return to your call. An active call indicator bar will appear at the top of your screen. Tapping on this control will bring you straight back to your call. On iOS this bar may be collapsed so you can see the content below it. Tapping on the collapsed bar will also bring you back to your conversation. You can expand it by swiping to the left on it if you just want to read the call information or mute yourself without actually navigating to the call.

Video Interop in Lync

2013-03-16T17:11:00Z

By Shelly Marston, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Lync

In my role on the Lync Marketing team, I look after Lync Meetings — audio, video, and web conferencing — and the video workload. So I was particularly attentive in Tony Bates’ keynote at Lync Conference 2013 a month ago, especially to the commitment of delivering interoperability with third-party video teleconference (VTC) vendors in the next 12-18 months. As I met with customers, partners, and analysts at the show, they all wanted to better understand what this will look like when delivered and what is available to them today. With Enterprise Connect 2013 starting today (Mar 18-21 in Orlando), I thought it was a good time to share the details of those conversations with you. I’ll do my best to answer their questions and more below, as well as provide some context around why this topic is important.

Interoperability: An Overview

Interoperability is a means or mechanism that allows disparate systems to work together.

Historically, point-to-point video and video conferencing capabilities in the enterprise have been delivered by hardware-based video teleconference (aka VTCs) or telepresence systems. Enterprises that have embraced these traditional video conferencing solutions over the last 5-15 years are likely to have invested significant budget for hardware and maintenance. These deployments are commonly a single vendor’s solutions resulting in assets from Polycom, Cisco/Tandberg, or other vendor VTCs deployed in conference rooms distributed across the enterprise’s locations.

These same enterprises, now ready to deploy Lync as a unified communications platform, are looking for ways to preserve their capital investment in these systems by using the VTCs as audio/video endpoints accessible to and from Lync. Alternatively, some customers may have an active video conferencing user community and plan to augment their solution offering with Lync. Others view Lync as a legitimate replacement to VTCs or telepresence. They might choose to leverage interoperability between Lync and VTCs/telepresence systems in the interim while migrating end users from the hardware estate to Lync.

These concepts are not unique to video. There are obvious parallels to Lync interoperability with legacy telephony solutions. In order for customers to deploy Lync Enterprise Voice, the ability to communicate with the existing telephony estate may be required — from IP-PBXs to Gateways to Session Border Controllers — whether as an interim solution or for long-term coexistence. As a result, we have grown the UC Open Interoperability Program (UCOIP) to include more than forty SIP Trunking providers and dozens of infrastructure providers across the telephony spectrum.

To some extent, the scenarios specific to video are a reflection of the unified communications maturity curve and the journey our customers take when deploying and adopting Lync in their enterprises.

Video Interoperability with Lync Today

So how do customers achieve video interop today?

Microsoft supports the Microsoft Lync Video Interoperability Program (VIP) which tests and qualifies partners’ video solutions to provide interoperability with Microsoft Lync Server 2010 and Lync 2013 to provide a premium experience for customers. The program offers support, via the Lync Partner Engineering team, to third parties as they navigate the technical documentation and understand the finer details of the signaling and media implementations in Lync 2013.

This allows partner companies who participate in VIP such as Polycom, LifeSize, Vidyo, and Radvision (Avaya) to deliver solutions that allow video interoperability between Lync and VTCs. Many of these partners will also be attending Enterprise Connect 2013, so feel free to visit to their booths for more details.

What about Cisco?

Customers with Cisco/Tandberg VTC investments frequently ask me if Lync 2013 interoperability with Cisco/Tandberg is possible today. And if so, how?

Microsoft has, by referring to the guidelines of the Video Interoperability Program (though Cisco is not participating in the VIP), advised Cisco on the specifics of Lync 2013 signaling and extension updates required to support the new features and leveraging H.264 AVC for higher quality experiences.

A basic assessment concluded positively that interoperability between Lync 2013 and Tandberg VTCs with Video Communication Sever (aka VCS B2B UA) was achievable with minor modifications of the VCS. With Lync 2013, transcoding is no longer required. Hence, there is no need for the expensive Cisco Advanced Media Gateway. In this new interoperability mode, the codec used natively by both systems is H.264 AVC resulting in a higher quality video experience for the end user than was the case with Lync 2010 interoperability. H.263 is no longer required.

I sincerely hope Cisco continues this partnership by submitting its solution for further testing and/or qualification in the Video Interoperability Program. When customers ask me what they can do to promote progress in this regard, I suggest that they encourage Cisco to participate in the VIP.

"Built-in" Video Interoperability

I am energized by what the future holds for Lync 2013 video interoperability!

As announced by Tony Bates at Lync Conference 2013, Lync will support video interoperability, with Cisco/Tandberg VTCs specifically, within 12-18 months. With this capability “built in” to Lync, third-party gateways or MCUs (including Cisco VCS) will no longer be required to achieve interoperability.

Interoperability “built in” to Lync will:

Reduce complexity
Eliminate the need to purchase and/or maintain additional equipment
Provide more choice to enterprises as they deploy and adopt Lync as their unified communications platform

Ultimately, we think this will help customers achieve the above goals I mentioned in the overview, while simultaneously unlocking the full potential of Lync!

For others, interoperability will be a “means to an end” for an interim period as they consider transitioning to Lync 2013 clients and Lync Room Systems. Lync Room System is a great option for new investments, such as new conference rooms or where there is a need to increase capacity. Between Lync mobile apps and Lync Room System, we have delivered a comprehensive suite of clients with the most to offer across IM, presence, Lync Meetings, and P2P audio/video capabilities.

If you’re attending Enterprise Connect 2013, stop by our booth! You’ll see the new Lync — including our new Lync Room System solution — and have an opportunity to question the experts. I hope you enjoy the show, and I look forward to continuing this dialogue in the coming months!

Lync 2013 March VDI Update

2013-03-13T19:17:00Z

The first update to the Lync VDI feature since Lync 2013 shipped is now available! If you use Lync 2013 in VDI mode (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) then you should apply the below patch.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2760556

Why is Lync 2013 Mobile asking me to use Lync 2010?

2013-03-12T17:25:11Z

By Jason Lewis, Program Manager, Lync Mobile Team

We have been seeing some feedback asking “Why is Lync 2013 Mobile asking me to use Lync 2010?” The short answer is your Lync Server does not support Lync 2013 Mobile apps, you will need to continue using the Lync 2010 Mobile app.

The long answer is…

Lync 2013 Mobile relies on Unified Communication Web API (UCWA) that comes with February 2013 Cumulative Update for Lync Server 2013 or later, which Lync Server 2010 does not provide. If you are connecting to a Lync 2010 or Lync 2013 RTM Server you will see the message ”You can't sign in with this version of Lync. Please install Lync 2010”. On the other side, Lync 2010 Mobile relies on Lync Mobility Service (MCX) which is included on Lync 2010 and Lync 2013 Servers. This allows Lync 2010 Mobile users to sign into either version of Lync Server.

Another common question is why can I sign into Lync 2013 for Windows 8 app but not the mobile app. The answer is that the Lync 2013 for Windows 8 app is not built on UCWA and thus does not have the February Cumulative Update for Lync Server 2013 requirement.

Lync 2013 Mobile Apps Available for Windows Phone, iPhone, iPad and Android

2013-03-11T17:03:19Z

By Jason Lewis, Program Manager, Lync Mobile Team

Last month at Lync Conference we showed our Lync 2013 mobile clients and shared that the apps for Windows Phone and iOS would be available in March. Today, I’m excited to share that the Windows Phone app is available today and that the app for iPhone and iPad ~~have been submitted and should be available this week~~ are available now. **Update (4/1)** The Android app is also now available. Lync 2013 Mobile brings a number of improvements and new features. We will dive into these in depth in future blog articles, but for now here is a quick look at a couple of my favorite new features.

VoIP & Video
This was our number one feedback item in app stores and forums, and we listened. Now you can make and receive VoIP & video calls from all Lync 2013 Mobile apps.

Desktop & Application Share Viewing (iPad only)
Improving on the ability to view PowerPoint in meetings with Lync 2010 Mobile iPad 1.5 release, we have added desktop and application share viewing. Now when in meetings you will not miss content shared by others.

I encourage you to download and use the Windows Phone, iPhone, iPad and Android apps today and let us know what you think!

Here's how we've improved the Windows Store Lync App!

2013-03-04T18:23:00Z

by Phillip Garding, Senior Program Manager, Lync Team

One of the things we announced at Lync Conference was our first update for the Lync Windows Store app. We spent the last few months talking to customers and reading your Store reviews. We heard lots of feedback on what you liked and what you didn’t. We think you will find the updated Lync app easier to use and more reliable as well as offering some cool new features. Let’s take a look at what’s new!

Sign-in

There is no question that the number one problem people had was around sign-in. We heard the feedback soon after the app was released, and we approached the problem in three ways. The first and quickest was to help Lync administrators make sure their servers were ready for Lync Windows Store app to connect. We improved our server documentation and released the Lync Connectivity Analyzer tool to help administrators test their server readiness. The second way was to improve error messages and reliability in the app. Finally, we worked with the Windows team to roll out a change in the February update to Windows 8 to fix a certificate issue that blocked a lot of organizations from signing in.

If you had problems signing in before, try it again with the updated Lync app!

Faster Search

Searching for contacts is an integral part of communicating through Lync, so we wanted to make it easier. We added a Search button directly on the Home and Contacts screen so you can get started with one tap. Of course, you can still swipe from the side of the screen to get the Windows search charm.

Easier Navigation, Mute, and End Call

We heard from a lot of users that it was too hard to do some common things like moving between screens and getting to Mute and End Call buttons in a call or meeting. We rethought our navigation controls and put a Back button on every screen. We also simplified the upper app bar and made it easier to tell which of your IM conversations have new messages. In calls and meetings, we added buttons directly on the screen so you can mute yourself and hang up quickly with a single tap.

Ink in IM Conversations

Lync Windows Store app is optimized for touch, so it only makes sense that you can send and receive ink in your IM conversations. With the new ink input panel, you can write freehand or draw a color picture. When you send an ink message, it can be seen by other Lync desktop and Lync Windows Store app users. IM isn’t just for typing anymore!

Copy/paste and keyboard support in dialpad

Because Lync is the only work phone for many users, we wanted to improve the experience for dialing phone numbers and making calls. In addition to touch support for dialing, you can now copy a phone number and paste it into the dialpad. For those using Lync with a keyboard, you can also type a phone number instead of tapping or clicking the digits.

So much more!

There are too many improvements in the new update to list them all, but here are a few other things worth noting:

Missed conversation notifications on the Windows start screen
Improved high-definition picture support
Accessibility support for full screen video and sharing
Performance improvements on Surface RT
Stabilization across the board and bug fixes throughout the app

We know that you will love the updated Lync Windows Store app, but we suspect that it might not be quite perfect yet. We promise to keep working on it if you promise to leave us feedback and give us a new or updated rating in the Windows Store.

Have fun using Lync!

Lync-Skype Connectivity Arriving by June 2013

2013-02-28T17:05:29Z

By Blake Shepard, Senior Business Planner, Lync

On February 19^th Tony Bates, President of Microsoft’s Skype Division, announced in the keynote address at the Lync Conference and also in a blog post that Lync-Skype Connectivity for presence, IM, and voice will be available to all Lync users by June. This article is a follow-up to provide additional details and answers to the most frequently asked questions as we set out on the journey to re-humanize communications “from the living room to the boardroom.”

Lync-Skype Connectivity, available for both Lync Online and Lync Server, will enable Lync customers to connect and collaborate with suppliers, customers, and partners—relying on the richness of Lync and leveraging the reach of Skype. The upcoming release is an important first step unlocking the combined value of Lync and Skype. Over time, we will add more capabilities, with video calling as our next priority.

Many Lync users are already enjoying IM and presence connectivity with their former Windows Live Messenger contacts who have transitioned to Skype as part of Messenger’s retirement. By June, we will enable audio calls between Lync and Skype and the ability for Skype users to find Lync users and add them to their Skype contact lists. We will make another announcement when this next set of capabilities is available. Meanwhile, below are the most common questions that we’ve been receiving from customers about where we are today.

FAQs

Is IM and presence available today between Lync and Skype? Yes, on a limited basis. This functionality is enabled as part of the transition from Windows Live Messenger to Skype. Messenger users’ federated Lync contacts follow the transition into Skype with the rest of their buddy lists, and IM between Skype and Lync for these contacts is available immediately. Lync customers do not need to do anything to enable this continuity of service, but Skype users must sign into Skype using the same Microsoft account (formerly known as Windows Live ID) as was used for Messenger. (Note: Adding new Lync federated contacts into Skype and audio calling between Skype and Lync will both be available by June.)

Can Skype users add Lync users to their contact lists today? No, but this feature will be part of the enhancements delivered by June. The current set of capabilities is specific to enabling the Windows Live Messenger transition.

Can Lync users add Skype users to their Lync contact lists today? Lync users can add Skype users’ Microsoft accounts to their contact lists the same way that they have been able to add Messenger contacts (capability must be enabled by Lync administrator), and Skype users can sign in with Microsoft accounts (formerly known as Windows Live IDs). When both of these occur, IM and presence connectivity between Lync and Skype is established.

What communications capabilities will be supported between Lync and Skype as part of the upcoming release? Lync-Skype connectivity for presence, one-on-one IM, and audio calling will be available to all Lync users by June. Over time, we will add more capabilities, with video calling as our next priority.

What must Skype users do to connect to Lync contacts in the upcoming release? There are two requirements for Skype users to use all of the features: 1) Use the updated Skype client (release TBD, but by June), and; 2) Sign-in to Skype with a Microsoft account (which can be associated with an existing Skype ID).

Will Skype Connectivity work with Lync 2010? Yes, Lync 2010 is supported the same as Lync 2013.

What Lync licenses are required for Skype Connectivity? Skype Connectivity is licensed as part of Lync Standard CAL, Lync Online Plan 1, Lync Online Plan 2, or Lync Online Plan 3.