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Skype: Lync’s USP?

by on August 15, 2011 in Lync, Microsoft, Skype

I’ve written before that I can see why Microsoft bought Skype at such a high valuation and it has to be based on selling advertising to the billions of potential Skype clients in the future.  What I didn’t fully appreciate at the time is the potential benefit it could have for Lync.  After speaking with end users over the past couple of weeks I’ve found an increasing number of them asking me about the Skype/Lync integration.

So why do I think Skype could be a USP for Lync?

Let me start with a perceived problem: Lync is an extremely powerful and stable UC platform with access to millions of Microsoft desktops yet for all the capability and large Microsoft sales and marketing muscle I don’t think Lync’s potential has been fully taken by Enterprise customers yet.  While there are several reasons for this Skype can help change in a couple of different ways:

  1. I often think that Microsoft and partners have difficulty explaining what Lync is and can do within an Enterprise.  Often saying it’s the corporate Skype is a good start and then gives you space to explain the full Lync capabilities.  In addition Lync advocates can now explain how Skype and Lync fit together within a UC strategy.
  2. Understanding how Skype and Lync fit together really starts to open up the larger opportunities.  When Microsoft integrate Skype and Lync, Lync will be the prime UC technology that works seamlessly and securely with over a billion potential users/customers.  I’ve already had several discussions within the Pharma/Healthcare industry that wish to exploit this type of connectivity:
  • Sales Rep with Lync being able to share IM/voice/video and content with Doctors without having to visit
  • Scientists within Pharma organisations being able to contact students and lecturers within Universities
  • R+D trial leaders being able to contact patients who are taking part in clinical studies

I’m sure every industry could create multiple use cases.  You may also be asking: why couldn’t the Pharma/Heathcare companies just deploy Skype now rather having to deploy Lync?  Most large organisations block Skype due to security concerns and Skype doesn’t sit well with regulatory requirements such as tracking and archiving.

Providing Lync with Skype integration an IT department is enabling significant business value within a controlled and secure communication environment that can meet any regulatory requirements.  Doesn’t that sound like a USP for Lync?

Popularity: 5% [?]

Current Mobile Client Lync Table

by on July 24, 2011 in Lync, Microsoft

Here is a list of the existing clients that I know work with Lync.  Interestingly the Damaka client requires only the most Lync Edge to be installed but has the most functionality with Instant Messaging, Presence, Voice and Video.

NameOSVendorFeaturesRequirementsLink
Enterprise Instant MessagingBlackberryRIMIM and PresenceBES 5 SP3
Lync Edge		http://tinyurl.com/3ar8md6
XynciOS
Android
Symbian		DamakaIM, Presence and Voice/VideoLync Edgehttp://tinyurl.com/3os4euz
iDialogiOSModality SystemsIM and Presence
Existing CWA Service
Lync Edge
http://tinyurl.com/3ze4why
Windows Phone 7Windows Phone 7.5 - MangoHome DevelopmentIM and Presence
Bespoke Server with UCMA3.0
Lync Edge
http://tinyurl.com/3rj6w9p

Popularity: 6% [?]

Blackberry Lync Client Available

by on July 24, 2011 in Lync, Microsoft

I’m not sure how many orgainsations will have Lync (with an Edge Server) and BES 5 SP3 in their environment but if you do you are now be able to access Blackberry’s official Lync client.  Unlike Microsoft’s Lync mobile clients which are coming this year the Blackberry client does not require the ‘Mobile’ server, although of course it does require BES 5 SP3.

Link to the client is here

Popularity: 8% [?]

Lync Mobile and Mac client update

by on July 11, 2011 in Lync, Microsoft, Unified Communications

While there is still no definitive date set by Microsoft for the official release of Lync mobile client support the smoke signals currently puffing out of Redmond seem to be pointing towards a Q4 2011 release.  It’s looking likely there will not be direct support for Lync mobile clients from the Edge server and a new Mobile Server role will need to be added into the Lync topology.  I’m not entirely sure why this new server role is required.  The Damaka client works well direct from the Edge server for both IM/P, voice and video.  It may well be to reduce the amount of traffic the Lync server sends to the mobile clients.

I’ve heard that iOS devices (iphone and ipad) are currently in a very limited beta trial, I don’t have any information whether RIM and Nokia are on target to release in Q4 and no information on dates for the official MS Lync Android app – I still can’t quite believe the Lync team are going to release an Android client, is it the only example of Microsoft software on Android?  Finishing off the set Windows Phone 7 is due to support Lync in the Mango 7.5 update which is in line with Q4 2011.

Unfortunately if you want voice and video support you will have to pay extra for 3rd Party releases until some undefined time – thought to be 2012.  This is real shame because Lync voice and video on an ipad works very well with the Damaka client and its holding businesses back not being able to fully exploit Lync services from mobile and tablet devices.

One more quick update on the Mac Lync client.  Mac support is currently on an older Wave13 client release but I’ve heard rumours of a Wave14 Mac client being in beta – I haven’t seen it myself and again no timelines on when or even if it will be seen in public.

Appreciate this is lots of ifs and buts but given the Q4 2011 timeline I’m hoping MS will soon release official information on a major element of the Lync experience.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Windows Phone 7.5 Lync Client Update

by on May 17, 2011 in Lync, Microsoft

Microsoft yesterday confirmed that their next major release of Windows Phone (7.5) will add an official Lync client.  The video below provides a quick overview of some of the features available.

As mentioned before Microsoft are focusing on IM/Presence and Click to Call in this release and will look to add VoiP and Video in future versions.  In addition while not mentioned in the video if you have an On Premise Lync install it is highly likely you will require the addition of another server role to support mobile clients.

Microsoft is holding an official Windows Phone 7.5 reveal next week where I assume they will provide a release date, we are yet to know if the 7.5 release and the Lync server role will be at the same time.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Skype Rumours: Facebook, Google and Microsoft…

by on May 8, 2011 in Google, Microsoft, Skype

My first question reading this list was – why no telco?  Skype generate almost all of their income from PSTN with circa 8 million subscribers paying an average of $97 per year for PSTN access.  Wouldn’t it be a natural fit for a telco with global ambitions (easy answer to this – there are no global telcos) or at least a defensive play against a loss of revenue as users shift from PSTN to calling over the internet?  Then I took a look at the figures and realised the telco element of Skype is a complete red herring.  It is user numbers and specifically user attention that Facebook and Google want so they can do what they do best – serve ads to a captive audience.

Take a look at a couple of rough comparisons:

Facebook – 500 million users with 700 billion minutes per month of time spent on the site (official facebook site) – market value currently talked of $50billion

Youtube – 2 billion views a day (viral blog) which on my assumption of an average of 2 minutes per view could be getting on for 120 billion minutes per month - its hard to know what value Google put on youtube now

Twitter – reports of 200 million users with which could mean up to 5 billion (scaling up on the digital buzz blog) requests to Twitter each day and a possible market valuation of $7billion

Now compare the above numbers to Skype who reportedly have over 500 million with an average of 145 million users logged in on a monthly basis (techcrunch).  While the reported numbers of voice and video of 207 billion per year is much smaller that Facebook, Twitter or Youtube the user must be logged into the Skype application for much longer.

Such a weight of user number and the length of time a user logs in gives a specialist ad serving organisation like Facebook or Google the ideal opportunity to monetize Skype.  Skype for Business and Skype Out are minority business interests and the suitors of Skype know it, I just wonder if Silver Lake truly appreciate that it currently holds one of the few internet businesses with the scale and relevance to match the marque names of Facebook, Twitter and Youtube that if sold correctly could serve billions of dollars of ads to users on a global basis.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Unofficial Windows Phone Lync Client Released

by on April 25, 2011 in Lync, Microsoft

In a prelude to a busy 6-9 months for Lync mobile clients the small team developing the unofficial Windows Phone client have released the necessary server to complement the Marketplace application.

The REST server can be found here

Implementing a dedicated server to push out information such as updates and AD is likely to be a very similar solution used by the official Lync clients that Microsoft/RIM and Nokia will release over the coming months.

While I’m sure most large Lync installs will await news of the official mobile release schedule from Microsoft hats off to Michael and his small but dedicated team members who have developed a great looking client.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Fitting Tablets into IT

by on April 3, 2011 in Apple, Lync, Microsoft, Office 365, Sharepoint, Wave 15, Windows 8

Over the past couple of weeks Dell and Micosoft executives have questioned the longevity of the tablet.  Is this wishful thinking on behalf of two large IT organsations that have been obliterated by Apple’s tablet dominance or a valid point?

Such a question is a great spur for debate within an IT organization and has led me to think through how I would respond in the broadest possible sense.  Should IT start to base their strategy and services on multiple devices which includes a tablet or concentrate on desktop/laptop alone?

In my view IT has to focus on a strategy that supports a dual operating system for Desktop and Mobile.   With tablets able to fit into either category.  I could envisage a need within a large enterprise for tablets with different operating systems.

If I’m in a large enterprise today I would base my dual operating strategy around a Windows provision for my information workers who are content creators and then an Apple based provision for my mobile workers and content consumers.

I would not restrict my business utilizing other operating systems such as Android, Phone 7, OSX.  I would want my information worker applications to operate on these platforms.  Users would be free to use but they would have to self support.

For standard information worker applications I’d plan around an evergreen Microsoft strategy of Exchange, Sharepoint, Lync and Office.  I would have the necessary Microsoft infrastructure to support native external support without the need for middle ware such as Citrix.

Why so much Microsoft?  Quite simply Microsoft has the most comprehensive offer for information workers with the most effective delivery mechanism via their cloud and on premise solution.  When applications are reviewed separately Microsoft may not be market leading but as a complete whole that can be managed and utilsied by end users they are far ahead of the competition.

MS Licenses are expensive but this cost is off set by a reduced need for staff numbers required to manage a mixed estate.  Their Office 365 offer continues to mature and I would review Office 365 as a delivery mechanism and use MS’s pricing as a benchmark for an internal on premise provision.

Given the simplified Microsoft estate I would review the number of technical staff required within internal IT.  I would also review the existing contractual arrangements with system integrators.  System integrators often have to manage complex estates and within a simplified Microsoft estate I’m not sure what value they can add to the IT provision.

Couple of comments on the above. I don’t mention the version numbers as I would institute a policy that would maintain the latest version of software. Secure-id would only be used for sensitive application data such as finance etc.

Applications should be built on industry standards of HTML however I recognize there will be industry specific applications.  These should be placed within the remit of business IS rather than Infrastructure IS with the costs borne directly by the business.  I would have concerns about building bespoke applications within Microsoft office applications.  Such applications can prove beneficial however the support of the application would have to include the ability to upgrade as we move through the Microsoft 2-3 year upgrade cycle.

One open question is whether by default all my workers would automatically receive a desktop option with a mobile as a secondary option or would I allow my business to choose a mobile device as a primary device and a desktop device as an optional secondary.

Google OS will also be in the mix and is especially relevant for small to medium enterprise today but for large enterprise today I would move forward with a dual Windows/Apple strategy.

 

Popularity: 5% [?]

Microsoft’s Maturing Office Cloud

by on March 17, 2011 in Microsoft, Office 365

I’ve been fortunate enough to be involved with projects that have reviewed Microsoft’s BPOS (and now Office 365) readiness for large enterprise and have also had a chance to speak to some of MS’s largest case studies.  I think it is fair to say that with the BPOS service Microsoft has had something of a roller coaster ride with rapid evolutions to the commercial and service framework over the past two to three years.

Given the maturing nature of the service Microsoft seem to be entering a third phase of BPOS/Office 365.  They have learned from their early mistakes that allowed salesmen to over promise yet provide a delivery and service organisation that at times underdelivered to customers.  After locking down the service and offer in 2010 it now seems Microsoft are confident enough in their own ability to deliver to provide increased services, features and partners to the Office 365 offer.

From Simon Leyland Blog

There are still plenty of challenges ahead, especially with regards to how Microsoft manage their relationship with resellers of Office 365 and how they can transfer customers over quickly and seamlessly in large software upgrades (2007 – 2010 – 2012/3).  Having been on the inside of these developments it is clear to me that Microsoft are investing heavily in Cloud and while they will continue to make mistakes they have a financial and resource commitment to get their offer to market right.

Popularity: 2% [?]

3D Avatars and Kinect

by on March 15, 2011 in Kinect, Microsoft, Wave 15

It’s clear that Microsoft would like to implement their Kinect technology into the enterprise and here is another research project that is developing technology to inject live speech within an interactive 3D avatar. I’m sure a company like Proton Media (who already work closely with Microsoft) would be interested in implementing this type of technology within their 3D worlds.

I’m convinced that Microsoft’s Wave 15 will start to incorporate many elements of the Kinect and Research projects and if they do manage to execute correctly it could bring an entirely new dimension (forgive the pun) to their Office, Desktop and Collaboration value proposition.

Take a look at the avatar project here

Popularity: 5% [?]