#Polycom Introduces First #Lync Wireless IP Phone And Announces It Will Divest Wireless Devices In Same Day

 

Just saw Polycom press release: “Polycom Announces Definitive Agreement to Divest Its Enterprise Wireless Voice Solutions Business for Approximately $110 Million to Sun Capital Partners Affiliate”

This strategic decision to divest the wireless voice business reflects Polycom’s focus on initiatives that extend the company’s leadership in its unified communications business.  Polycom’s enterprise wireless voice portfolio, which is part of the UC personal product category, includes Wi-Fi and DECT handsets, related infrastructure and accessories, and generated revenues of approximately $94 million in calendar year 2011.

UPDATE: As noted in the comments, Polycom paid $220M for Spectralink in 2007. Here is the press release: Click Here.

Read Complete Polycom Press Release:
http://www.polycom.com/company/news_room/press_releases/2012/20120510.html

Polycom Wireless Achieves Lync Qualified Status:
http://windowspbx.blogspot.com/2012/05/polycom-delivers-first-lync-qualified.html

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#Polycom Delivers First Lync Qualified Device: KIRK DECT Wireless Series

**In Progress**

Note: Polycom has many Lync Optimized Devices already. This is Polycom’s first entrant into the Lync Qualified/ Other Compatible IP Phone Class of devices.

Some Quick Things Noted:

• 8 DECT Models
• First Lync Qualified DECT Devices for Polycom
• Every price range except very low (less than $150)
• It is the first Lync Qualified/ Other Compatible IP Phone to require separate Server: Kirk Wireless Server.
• Understandable considering it is DECT

Read More:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/lync/gg278172

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snom UC Edition BETA FW Released With New #Lync Features: PIN Sign-In, Call Park, SBA, Music On Hold, Updates From Lync Server Support and More

snom is releasing a new UC Edition (Lync) firmware 8.8.1.1 BETA for partners, customers and system integrators to test.

This release has some sizeable new features:

• Native Software Updates (manage firmware update from Lync Server like native devices)
• PIN Based Sign In
• Call Parking
• SBA Support (Survivable Branch Appliance)
• DNS NLB Support (Click Here)
• Music On Hold (configured via Lync powershell)
• Boss/Admin Functionality
• Assign Lync Contacts to Phone Buttons from the Contact List
• Asian language support on snom 821

 

FEATURE: Call Park and Unpark from Desk Phone

coming…

 

FEATURE: Assign Lync Contacts to Buttons Right on the Phone

When on a Lync contact select “Fkeys” to assign one.

Select Button/Fkey on the Phone you want to assign this key to….

Select the Function.

Voila.

FEATURE: Contact/BLF Buttons Now Labeled

The contact name and presence state labels the buttons.

FEATURE: Music On Hold from IP Phone

MOH seems pretty straight forward, just use standard Lync powershell (CSClientPolicy) to enable music on hold.

Note: Limitation in this Version: Replacing the media file on the device with a custom file is not possible

FEATURE: Managing Firmware Updates from Lync Server 2010

(I suspect for anyone that used snomtastic the below screenshot is a welcome sight. )

This is not a complete list of new features, but just some features I called out.  I did not test features and Please note this is BETA FW, but if you want to test it out, get your snom login and head over to the snom user portal.

NOTE: You do need a partner, customer or integrator login to access this BETA firmware.

Other Blog Posts About snom UC Edition:

• Lync Presence on snom Buttons: Click Here
• Lync Feature Screenshots Details in snom UC Edition:  Click Here

 

Browse To:
www.snom.com

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snom Director of UC Indicates Increased snom UC Edition Device Management Through Lync Server “Coming Soon”

 

snom’s Tim Koehler made mention of increased UC Edition management on the Lync forum:

Please note, that snom will have a Beta very soon with a lot of improvement on manageability (like firmware update through Lync server) and introducing several new features. Register now at http://www.snom.com/en/lync to get informed when the Version is available.

Source:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/ocsvoice/thread/196375a5-3ae9-4452-acbe-2679a8deef80/

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Lync User QuickTip #19: Understanding Lync to Outlook Calendar Based Presence Integration

One of the great things about Microsoft Lync is how it lights up hitherto hidden information. One of these items is the Outlook Busy/Free status. We find it is not uncommon for organizations/users to not be paying much attention to Outlook free/busy state until they implement Microsoft Lync …then presence starts being set by it and it is nicely visible! Outlook has been storing this information all along, but since it is somewhat "out of sight" it is not being set correctly by the user. This becomes important when Lync presence starts using that info.

Q. How to Turn On Lync Outlook Calendar Free/Busy Presence Integration

By default this integration is turned on, but if not: Just click on the Options button (upper right of Lync client) then click Personal as shown below.

Once you’ve configured this, your Lync presence will be set based on Meetings and Appointments from Outlook.

Q. I Added an Appointment or Meeting for Right Now, But My Presence Didn’t Update Yet. What’s Up?

So what is the delay? Well, by default Lync only checks in with Exchange Web Services and changes Lync Busy/Free state every so often (by default, roughly every 30 minutes).

Also, some users think that if they click “Reset Status” the Lync will immediately check Outlook and set Lync to Outlook Free/Busy state. In reality Lync will takes its standard interval (mentioned above) and check at the next interval. ( default up to 30minutes, but admin can set longer or shorter.) This may seems a little long, but it does optimize network traffic.

This interval can be changed/shortened by your Lync administrator using Justin Morris’ great article below:
http://www.justin-morris.net/how-does-lync-2010-use-exchange-calendar-information/

Q. Since We Started Using Lync, My Presence is Always Busy/In Meeting Since My Days are Scheduled.

 

Depending on how you setup an appointment or meeting’s Free/Busy setting, will depend how Lync shows your status when that appointment is in progress.

For Appointments this is how Free/Busy Affects What Users See in Lync:

• Appointment Free = Lync will show Available (green)
• Appointment Busy = Lync will show Busy (orange)
• Appointment Tentative = Lync will show Available (green)

For Meetings this is the mapping:

• Free = Available (green)
• Busy = In a Meeting (organge)

 

When I Hover over Calendar Field on Contact Card I can’t See Appointment/Meeting Details

If a Lync contact has you as WorkGroup or closer Privacy Relationship you can see their Calendar Appointment/Meetings’ Subject and Location as shown below.  This is very cool for answering the question “Your busy, but what are you doing?”.

If you cannot see the details of the Calendar appointment/meeting, this means that the contact in question does not have you set as WorkGroup (or Friends and Family) in Privacy Relationship. Just ask them to do this.

What Happens if you schedule a meeting/appt that starts before now?
-It seems this works fine, Lync will check the free/busy state at the normal interval, and change it.

What If i change/set my presence, does Hover to see current appt/mtg still work?
-Yes, it will say set presence, but still show meeting.

See the whole Lync User QuickTips Series:
http://windowspbx.blogspot.com/search/label/LyncUserTip

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Free Microsoft Lync HotKey Contact Dialer App: Launch Conversation With 1 Button Touch

 

Assign hot keys to Lync contact so you can Instant Message or Audio Call contacts or phone numbers with 1 hot key whether you are in Lync or not. No need to look at your screen to launch Call.

Get it here:
http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Lync-HotKey-Contact-Dialer-bbf5b463

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#Lync User QuickTip #18: How To Get Lync 2010 Call and Conversation History On Lync Mobile Device

Do any of the below scenarios catch you?

• Sometimes you are on the road and you know you made a call when you were back in the office an hour ago, and what was the number?
• You miss an IM on your Lync Mobile client (for technical or others reasons) and you wonder what the person wanted.
• You just want to find an old IM that someone sent you yesterday

The Lync Mobile client does not save Missed, Incoming and Outgoing voice calls. Also, It doesn’t save conversations history of IM’s that didn’t originate on Lync Mobile. How can get get around this? One simple way is by adding the Exchange/Outlook Conversation History email folder to your mobile device.

Note: My instructions will be Windows Phone specific here, but I’m sure you iOS and Android people can apply this trick to your devices. (but of course not as beautifully as with a Windows Phone tile ;-)

To add the Exchange/Outlook Conversation History email folder to your Windows Phone:

• Open the Exchange/Outlook email that is associated with your Lync account.
• Tap “Folders” and then “Show all folders” (below)

• and add the Conversation History folder
• Finally Pin this email Folder to your Start menu for very efficient access to you Call History.
• Now, with one tap you can see Missed, Dialed, Connected calls along with all call history on your mobile device. Also, using Outlook mobile you can search for string. (below)

• Call detail record (below)

Notes/Caveats:

• There is an approx 5-10minute delay on a missed IM message showing up in Conversation History
• Lync Mobile conversations are not saved in Exchange Conversation History (I know, I know, I wish they were too…
• If you Tap on a phone number in Call History detail Outlook mobile will use the mobile phone to make the call. (You can Tap and Hold, copy and then paste into Lync Mobile. For some reason it adds digits in front of the number, so unfortunately this doesn’t work great for Lync Mobile Call Via Work.)

See the whole Lync User Tips Series:
http://windowspbx.blogspot.com/search/label/LyncUserTip

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