This was a question asked by a university in North Carolina. (Screenshots courtesy of the Exchange product team)
What can I share my calendar with?
Basically any platform that supports iCal (.ics) format can consume this such as Google, Zimbra, Yahoo, Windows Live, and even external Outlook users can view your calendar without the need for calendar federation.
What does it look like?
On the client side, within OWA, you select “publish this calendar”. note: I haven’t seen equivalent feature in Outlook 2010.
Select secondary calendar publishing options such as details, how many months, etc.
To share your calendar via ICS externally, using OWA select “send links to this calendar”
Email put together to external person with .ICS links
External Recipients view of ICS HTML URLs:
External Recipients view of your calendar using HTML view of Internet Shared Calendar:
How do I enable Internet Calendar Sharing?
The exchange administrators will have to run some cmdlets to enable this:
Step 1:
PRE-REQUISITE: OWA External URL must be set
set-owavirtualdirectory –Identity <CAS> -ExternalURL <externalURLforCAS>
Step 2:
PRE-REQUISITE: Mailbox webproxy must be set
set-exchangeserver –identity “servername” –InternetWebProxy ”webproxy URL”
Step 3:
Admin must enable Internet access to exchange published calendars
set-owavirtualdirectory –Identity <CAS> -CalendarPublishingEnabled $true
Step 4:
Admin must enable sharing policy for Internet Publishing
set-sharingpolicy –Identity <PolicyName>
-Domains “Anonymous:<accesslevel>”
Optional Step 5: If using OWA “publish this calendar” is not an option this is an alternative step
Once policy and vdir access are set, can publish calendar
set-mailboxcalendarfolder –Identity <alias>:\calendar -SearchableUrlEnabled (default $false) -DetailLevel (default AvailabilityOnly)
-PublishDateRangeFrom (default ThreeMonths)
-PublishDateRangeTo (default ThreeMonths)
Optional Step 6:
Once calendar is published, can retrieve users URL’s
get-mailboxcalendarfolder –Identity <alias>:\calendar
Final published URL format you would place in external email systems clients would be something like this:
http://contosounivesity.edu/owa/calendar/<userID+CalendarID>.ics
or they could just leverage the HTML view.
This release of Lync is not just a minor upgrade from OCS 2007 R2. It has some awesome new features and functionality coming. I figured I should try and provide a bulleted list of the top features you need to be aware of. (screenshots are courtesy of Lync product team and some of my own)
•Contact Cards – these are available in all Office and SharePoint applications as well
•Unified Contact Store – no longer do you have contacts all over place
•Activity Feeds – similar to Facebook status feeds shows list of status changes, title changes, OOF, etc.
•Fast Search – quickly find people in your organization
•Skill Search – you can find ‘Nanotechnology expert’ on your campus for example
•Frequent Contacts – folks you communicate with the most are listed
•Conversation View – lists all the communications you have had in a single view (meetings, voice calls, IMs, etc)
Mac Office 2011 just Released To Manufacturing (RTM) last Friday. Watch their funny RTM video here. With that release comes a new Outlook 2011 Mac client and a new Communicator client for Mac.
New Outlook 2011 for Mac client
Showing the ability to read Exchange calendar, change presence and display calendar information in the contact card on the Mac.
Some of the Mac 2011 enhancements include:
Dialpad view
Voice call view on Mac 2011 client
•Single client – Live Meeting client is GONE!! All conferencing is provided natively in the Lync 2010 client.
•Join reliability – make it easier to join meetings from mobile phones and from meeting reminders
•PSTN conferencing features – will have DTMF controls, audio announcements, meeting lobby
•Rich conferencing experience – record meetings directly into WMV format, work on content in background during presentations
•Panoramic HD video – support for HD conferencing now, panoramic HD support as well
•Desktop & Application sharing – lightweight desktop sharing for faster rendering times – no more 2 second delays, etc.
•Reach client called Lync 2010 Attendee client – this is a Silverlight client for PCs (people joining from off campus), Macs and other platforms to consume meetings
•Infrastructure consolidation
•Video interop with Polycom, Radvision and Tandberg
Customers have been asking for this and there are plans to have Mac conferencing capabilities using a Silverlight Lync 2010 Attendee client client (web) for Mac users to start. Mac users can consume Lync meetings now. Additional conferencing functionality for Mac may be in the works post RTM. I will post more as more info comes available.
Some Mac Silverlight client conferencing features include:
View PC PowerPoints
View shared PC desktop
Remotely control PC desktop
Annotate PowerPoints, virtual laser pointer
Create and Post Polls, Vote in Polls
Create Whiteboard, collaborate in whiteboard
Can be combined with Mac 2011 Communicator client to include:
Audio conferencing
Video conferencing
•Dialpad
•Voicemail access – visual voicemail is very nice since you can play voicemails right in the client
•Private line – can setup one private line per voice enabled person
•Call delegation – can setup boss/admin and use Attendant Console for Admins/Receptionists
•Call routing – setup calls to go to another line forwarding or simulring (cell, home phone, etc)
•Call quality notification – lets you know if you are on a bad connection, echoing, speaking too loudly/softly, etc.
•Call park
•Device transfer – you can switch between multiple device real time during the call – headset, ip phone, usb phone, etc.
•Survivable branch appliance – appliance used for remote locations in case of a datacenter link outage/loss the SBA will leverage a PSTN connection for backup dialtone and failback to WAN link when available again. SBAs available from NET, Ferrari, HP, Audiocodes and Dialogic.
SBA diagram showing PSTN and WAN options
HP’s SBA appliance GUI screen
•Data center resiliency – can failover dialtone to alternate datacenters if primary datacenter goes down
•Call admission control (CAC) – can define bandwidth policies, audio and video routes, route traffic to Internet or PSTN based on links, etc.
•Announcement service – announce folks joining/leaving meetings
•Media bypass – no longer need mediation servers in remote locations for media nor are they needed for IP-PBX interop (for R2 voice customers today this translates to a huge reduction in Lync servers needed)
•E-911 for North America – native E911 location awareness See my post here for more info.
•Response group improvements
•Analog device support – fax machines and analog phones can be reflected in call detail records, etc.
•Standard and Enterprise Editions
•Reduced # of server roles – elimination for need of dedicated mediation server and other roles
•Server colocation enhancements
•Central Management Store – Lync config data stored in SQL now
•Planning Tool
•Topology Builder
•Migration tools
I will update more on the blog as things progress for Lync Mobile as far as available mobile platforms, final features, etc:
Features potentially slated (subject to change of course):
Single number reach - both ways (from Lync to mobile and from Mobile to Lync) where your mobile number stays hidden
Mobile voicemail avoidance – simul ring will send call to Exchange voicemail vs. mobile voicemail for example
Photos for each of your contacts
Join meeting – can join Lync conferences right from phone
See attendees in a Lync conference – along with who is talking
Control a Lync conference from mobile – mute, promote, remove, etc
Plenty of other mobile client features upcoming
•Lync Server Control Panel – core Lync administration capabilities from web page
•PowerShell – Lync Server can be fully managed from the command line if GUI is not your cup of tea
•Role Based Access Control – granular administration delegation down the property level if needed
•Server Draining – can drain calls before shutting down server for maintenance for example
•Virtualization Support – huge win here since now all the audio/video roles can be virtualized
•Enhanced monitoring – much better reporting and monitoring details, SCOM packs, etc.
Many more choices and variety of USB and IP phone pricepoints available now for Lync.
Some of the IP Lync phone device enhancements:
•Multi language support
•Contact Card – photos on the IP phone
•Search
•Call Transfer
•Calendar Integration – appointment will pop up and you can join the meeting right from the IP phone!
•Meeting Join
•Device management
New Lync phone views
Lync phone Calendar view
One of the big distinguishing points of the Lync platform is the ease of extensibility of our UC platform.
What comes with the UCMA 3.0 SDK (text excerpt from Chris Mayo’s UCMA FAQ):
Embed click to call/chat inside of LOB applications or Web sites using WPF or Silverlight
Extend apps inside of Lync client with context.
Grab the UCMA 3.0 RC SDK here.
Watch some of the new development Lync capabilities here.
Hopefully this gives you an idea of some of the amazing features coming with the Microsoft Lync Platform. Technet now has Lync 2010 content posted here for more technical deep dives. Stay tuned as we will have more posts around these topics upcoming.
I encourage you to walk through this in your labs for a detailed dry run of your production installation.
Reference lab you build out from the document listed here. You can optionally install Edge for external testing, etc.
Very nice step by step procedures for installing Lync Server into your non-production lab.
Grab the Lync Server 2010 Step by Step lab installation guide here.
Grab Lync Server 2010 release candidate bits here.
We finally announced the name for our next generation of Office Communications Server today! It is Microsoft Lync Server 2010. There are all sorts of reasons to rename it but mostly was due to the fact that Lync defines how the product connects/links you with people internally/externally from anywhere or at anytime. Visit here for more information.
The new logo is:
and Office Communicator will be renamed to:
I have been on the Lync release candidate for a bit now, with 20,000 of my peers, and it has been incredibly stable. The voice quality and end user usability have been outstanding. My education customers who have deployed RC into production have been extremely pleased with the overall quality and stability as well as the ease of deployment. One of my customers told me he so pleased with Lync Server that he is going to deploy RC for his entire campus (voice, IM and conferencing) and not wait for the RTM build.
Here are some shots:
I love the new photo feature where Lync client can pull the photo from Active Directory or SharePoint 2010. Puts a name with face.
I really like the visual voice mail so you can listen to your VMs right in the Lync client
You can also do test calls to check the quality of the network you are on (e.g. mobile wifi, etc).
Location awareness can be automatic based on subnet, network port or switch, WAP, etc.:
Lync enables some very nice click to call capabilities with browsers so you can call with any number on a web page:
We will be posting many new Lync Server posts in the coming weeks.
Be sure to grab the Microsoft Lync Server 2010 release candidate bits here. This is for non-production use.
We also posted our new planning tool for Lync Server 2010. This tool provides you a detailed wizard for how you are going to use Lync Server and then it provides a detailed architecture diagram for your environment:
sample architecture for 3,000 voice enabled users:
Provides a very useful Network layout:
Edge planning tool is now combined into the tool as well:
Grab the Lync Server 2010 planning tool here.
Solutions based on Microsoft® Lync
With Lync 2010, Microsoft and our partners provide a comprehensive communications solution including conferencing, instant messaging, presence, conferencing, voice and more, integrated within the applications people use most. The goal is to make it easier to find Lync-compatible products and communications services that can bring value to you.
System Integrators help customers evaluate and implement the right set of unified communication components to meet their unique needs.
We have broken these solution sets into 4 areas:
· Applications
· Infrastructure
· Communication Services
· Devices
1-APPLICATIONS Microsoft Lync partners deliver an entirely new class of solutions that integrate communications deeply within business applications and processes, as well as traditional functions such as contact centers, call recording, and accounting. Resource Links: UC Applications built on OCS (lync)- see it HERE Advanced SIP-Based Solutions Built on the Microsoft Unified Communications Managed API 3.0 and Lync- see it HERE Building Communications Enabled Business Processes with Microsoft Communications Server “14”- See it - HERE
1-APPLICATIONS
Microsoft Lync partners deliver an entirely new class of solutions that integrate communications deeply within business applications and processes, as well as traditional functions such as contact centers, call recording, and accounting.
Resource Links:
UC Applications built on OCS (lync)- see it HERE
Advanced SIP-Based Solutions Built on the Microsoft Unified Communications Managed API 3.0 and Lync- see it HERE
Building Communications Enabled Business Processes with Microsoft Communications Server “14”-
See it - HERE
Category
Company
Additional Information
Contact Center
Altigen
Aspect
Clarity Connect
Case Study
ComputerTalk
Solution Brief
Evangelyze.net
Geomant
Downloads
PrairieFyre
Video demo
Call Accounting and Billing
Convergent
Industry Solutions
Enabling Technologies
UC Solutions
ISI-Info
Datasheets
MindCTI
White Papers
Quest Software
Datasheet
Unify Square
Product page
Call Recording and Analysis
Post CTI
Reseller Info
Telrex
Security and Compliance
FaceTime
Demo
Network Management
Clearway NMS
Psytechnics
Communications Enabled Business Applications
Verticals
Contextual collaboration
Education
Healthcare
Formicary
Group Chat Case Studies
Mesiniaga
Meeting management
ProtonMedia
Virtual collaboration
Anywhere Information Access
Blue Position
SMS integration and mobile
presence
Twisted Pair
Radio integration
Business Process Communications
Public utilities, healthcare, education
Fortek
Public safety
Iconics
Manufacturing, Utilities, and more
Jasco
Alert system, framework
MetalForming
Manufacturing
2-INFRASTRUCTURE
Infrastructure partners provide core networking, branch survivability and PSTN interconnect functions for Lync, providing broad choice and standards adherence to customers building out their enterprise communication solution.
Tech Ed Training covering voice deployment, network considerations, and interoperability.
Find it- HERE
Gateways and Survivable Branch Appliances (SBAs)
Audiocodes
SBA information
Dialogic
Ferarri Electronic
Office Master information
HP
NET
SBA information (after 10/1)
Network Optimization
Brocade
Deployment White Paper (PDF)
Configuration White Paper (PDF)
Juniper
Planning Guide (PDF)
3- COMMUNICATION SERVICES
Third-party services enable enterprises to connect on-premises voice, IM, and conferencing networks to public and federated communication networks and services for a seamless experience. These partners for USA.
SIP Trunking
Verizon
Global Crossing
Interoute
ThinkTel
E-911 Routing
911 Enable
Intrado
The 4 SIP Trunking partners shown expect to be qualified and ready for Lync by launch. Additional partner solutions will be qualified after launch.
The Enhanced 911 routing solution providers provide services to enable customers to route emergency calls to the correct public safety answering point (PSAP) in accordance with regulatory requirements.
4-DEVICES
IP Phones, USB peripherals, conference room systems, and PCs designed for Microsoft Lync deliver integrated user experience, security features, and manageability. Partner devices are tested and qualified by Microsoft under the ‘Optimized for’ program to help ensure a high quality user experience.
Resources: Lync- what is new in Devices: Find it HERE
IP phones
Aastra
Contact Form
Polycom
October 6 Webinar
USB Devices
Various
Datasheet with Listing of Existing Devices
Snom technology AG, an international developer and manufacturer of advanced voice over IP (VoIP) phones for enterprise and residential markets, announced that the snom 300, has been tested by Microsoft Corp. for interoperability with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2.
The qualification confirms the snom 300 as the first general purpose SIP phone tested to work with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2.
· Interoperable general purpose SIP phone
· Expands IP phone options for R2 customers
· Tested by Microsoft and “compatible” with R2; not tested with Lync
· “Compatible” IP phones are tested to provide basic interoperability and quality of experience, but not full “Optimized for” experience, either from user perspective or administrative perspective;
· More information on Program Page- HERE
Lync home page
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/lync/default.aspx
Phones and Devices for Lync
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/office/ocs/bb970310.aspx
UC Open Interoperability Program
http://technet.microsoft.com/ucoip
OCS_2007R2_CU6
968802
MS download
OCS2009-dbupgrade
Office Communicator 2007 R2
OC_2007R2_CU6
2028888
Office Communicator Phone Edition 2007 R2
OCPE_2007R2_CU6
2267962
Office Communications Server 2007 R2, Group Chat Server
GCS_2007R2_CU6
2032881
Office Communications Server 2007 R2, Group Chat Client
GCC_2007R2_CU6
2032922
Office Communications Server 2007 R2, Group Chat Admin Tool
GCA_2007R2_CU6
2032949
I was presenting to a customer the other day and the question came up as to where the content is stored and if I have access to the attachment when recording. When you record using Lync all information is available – audio, participant video, panorama video, IM, and shared content. The recorded content is managed by the Microsoft Lync Recording Manager on your desktop. When you stop recording you will received toast on your screen that the information is available in the manager. If there were attachments uploaded during the session they will be saved as part of the Lync recording.
Figure 1. Lync Recording
Figure 2. Attachment window from Lync client.
The content is all available via the Recording Manager.
Figure 3. Recording Manager for Lync.
There are 3 actions you can do with the content you recorded, play within the Recording manager, Browse to the content, or Publish the recording to a windows media play formatted file. The content is found under the Lync recording under PubData/Handout/. Here you can take the handout and post to a website.
The really cool part is the recording and publishing.
Click on Publish…
and either publish locally or to a Sharepoint 2010 Document Library. I decided to post to a library as a media web part.
I uploaded and configured the media web part and now the presentation is available for streaming from the Sharepoint site. Very Cool!!
DID YOU KNOW:
• Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Release Candidate (formerly known as Communications Server “14”) is now available for customer download.
• More than 30 companies have announced beta versions of their Lync 2010 compatible hardware, software, and service products.
• Gartner MAGIC QUADRANT FOR Corporate Telephony-- Microsoft has maintained its position in the Visionary Quadrant of the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Corporate Telephony, 2010. Microsoft now has reprint rights to the report, see the online reprint .
• Microsoft announced a new devices program that will support an expanded portfolio of partner solutions. The snom 300 is the first general purpose SIP phone tested to work with OCS 2007 R2.
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This is great news as we add a great SIP phone partner to our Microsoft ‘Other compatible IP Phone’ compatibility list here. In education, the need for a high value and lower cost IP SIP phone is a strong need. I have several education customers who have deployed snom phones with OCS R2 with great success and now that they will be a compatible partner for Lync Server 2010 makes our IP phone device story even more complete with more options available to customers.
More on the snom OCS edition experience here.
Visit the press release here.