|
The Next Generation is Here: Transforming Communications Today
In response to today’s changing work styles and the need for real-time collaboration, organizations are looking for integrated productivity tools that enable users to communicate from anywhere in a cost-effective and secure manner. Microsoft Lync™ Server 2010 delivers a fresh, intuitive user experience that brings together the different ways people communicate in a single interface. This unified experience facilitates rapid user adoption, while the ability to support a full range of communications from a single platform reduces both capital and operational costs.
New Connected Experience Find and communicate with the right person, naturally. With native Active Directory® integration, Lync Server 2010 helps users find the right person to connect with, view their presence, and then communicate with them in the most effective way—via voice, video, or sharing an application or PowerPoint. If desired, users can initiate these connections directly from the new Contact Card. With Skill Search powered by SharePoint®, users are also able to search for others based on skills, expertise, and group information. Stay connected from virtually anywhere, with just a standard Internet connection. Microsoft Lync 2010 offers the same rich functionality and security features outside the firewall without requiring a Virtual Private Network
(VPN) connection, and enables mobile and Web access across leading browsers and platforms. Build social connections and stay up to date on colleagues’ activities. Lync 2010 encourages closer social connections with a new Activity Feed that shows updates from contacts when they change status note, picture, title, or office location.
Integration with Microsoft Office Communicate with context from Microsoft Office applications. Lync Server 2010 works with Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft SharePoint Server, and Microsoft Office applications for a richer collaborative experience with consistent presence, click-to-call options, and a new Contact Card. Office Backstage™ integration. The new Office Backstage view integrates various communication options so users can share documents and presentations via instant messaging (IM), share the application itself, or click to call directly from the application. Converged Communications Enhanced virtual meetings for improved productivity. Users can schedule a meeting from Microsoft Outlook® and join through Lync 2010 via the PC, phone, or Web interface. Lync Server 2010 provides a meeting user interface with integrated audio and video that enables participants to share presentations, annotate slides, superimpose text, and use visual pointers for more effective discussions. Additionally, users have the option to create ad hoc meetings, moving from an IM conversation, for example, to a Live Meeting, directly from the Lync interface.
Complete set of enterprise-grade voice features. Lync Server 2010 delivers a standalone voice offering to enhance or replace traditional PBX systems, and extends these capabilities outside the office via Internet access without requiring a VPN connection. This includes common calling features such as answer, forward, transfer, hold, divert, release, and park, along with Enhanced 9-1-1 calling* for North America, and support for legacy devices and a broader range of IP and USB user devices from partners. The solution is designed to support high availability through Call Admission Control, branch office survivability, and extended options for data resiliency.
Interoperable and Extensible Connect across networks. Lync Server 2010 supports federation with public IM networks such as Windows Live™, AOL, Yahoo!, and, through the XMPP Gateway, Google Talk, allowing workers to use their corporate identities to connect to customers and partners. Lync Server 2010 supports audio and video calls
with users on Windows Live Messenger.
Utilize existing A/V infrastructure. Conferencing interoperability enables organizations to use existing infrastructure including room systems and high-end conferencing solutions.
Integrate with existing PBX systems. Lync Server 2010 works with almost any PBX system either through Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) or qualified gateways, and integrates with qualified third-party SIP Trunking Service Providers. Embed communications in business processes. New and improved client-side APIs allow developers to embed Lync functionality into Microsoft Windows® and Microsoft Silverlight®-based applications with supported, ready-to-use code snippets. Enhanced server-side APIs make it easy to instantiate and deliver alerts via IM or phone, find experts, enable Web chat, and provide automated self-service using query-response bots and IVR.
 Simpler Deployment
Easily deploy systems of any scale, and manage with ease. Lync Server 2010 can provide presence, IM, and conferencing for organizations of literally any size, with up to 10,000 users per server, 100,000 users per pool, and an unlimited number of pools. Automated tools not only simplify capacity planning and topology design, but also automatically push configuration information and changes to all servers in the network, thus eliminating manual work and the associated chance for errors. The new Lync Server Control Panel consolidates scenario-driven tasks in a single interface, while PowerShell support allows administrators to automate
repetitive tasks using a familiar tool. Lync Server 2010 relies on Active Directory, eliminating the need for separate user and policy databases, and uses Role Based Access Control (RBAC) to allow the assignment of appropriate management roles and scopes to different administrators. Support for on-premises and hosted environments. Lync Server 2010 can be deployed on-premises or in a service-based (hosted) or hybrid environment. It offers full and seamless integration with Exchange Online and SharePoint Online, allowing customers to choose how to best deliver enterprise messaging and collaboration capabilities to end users.
|
|
ChangeBase signs agreement with KiZAN, leading US Microsoft Partner
June 21, 2010
London, X June, 2010 – ChangeBASE AOK Limited the global leader in automated application compatibility testing and remediation, today announces the signing of a strategic partnership with KiZAN one of the Microsoft’s leading US Gold Partners.
 London, June, 2010 – ChangeBASE AOK Limited the global leader in automated application compatibility testing and remediation, today announces the signing of a strategic partnership with KiZAN one of the Microsoft’s leading US Gold Partners.
The partnership with KiZAN further strengthens the company’s US footprint and illustrates the demand by US organizations for a best of breed application compatibility solution to help them successfully migrate to Windows 7.
KiZAN has been a strategic partner of Microsoft since the company formation in 1991, achieving the highest level of competency and experience across the majority of Microsoft solutions. The company counts many central North American organizations as its clients, combining world-class products with KiZAN’s commitment to technical delivery excellence resulting in a service which improves corporate efficiency and productivity.
“Continually adding value to our customers is at the very core of KiZAN. Over the last year, we were increasingly being asked to engage on OS migration projects with a Windows 7 and/or virtualization focus.” Robert Steele, Managing Partner of KiZAN. “A first step to achieve this is to assess and report on the compatibility of their application estate. We reviewed a couple of solutions on the market and found ChangeBASE AOK to be the best suited to what we needed. AOK has speed and accuracy of application test and reporting but the key for us was automatic fixing. With AOK as part of our portfolio, we can enable our customers to easily and quickly migrate their application estate at a fraction of the cost, time and resource traditionally required. Our client base is already seeing the benefits of using AOK.”
“Working with KiZAN has already yielded early fruit for ChangeBASE. The longevity of KiZAN’s relationships is evidence of the trust and success that they have with their customer base.” Said John Tate Managing Director of ChangeBASE. “To have a partner such as KiZAN taking AOK to the central North American market will be key to our US growth. They have the experience and expertise to take the unique capabilities of AOK to the market enabling organizations of every size make the successful transition to Windows 7 and beyond. We’re delighted to be working with them.”
About ChangeBASE ChangeBASE AOK is the market leader in automated compatibility software enabling organizations to simplify and speed up the time it takes to test, remediate and manage the migration process between operating systems or deployment environments. The company has developed a suite of software applications which bring tangible benefits and reduced costs to organizations across the globe. For more information, please visit; www.changebase.com.
About KiZAN
KiZAN combines world-class products with our commitment to excellence to help companies increase their performance while improving their corporate profitability. As a local and regional technology solution provider and consulting firm, KiZAN has the experience and expertise to transform our clients' businesses by providing solutions for the most complex business issues. Download the popular ChangeBase Whitepaper:
Migrating to Windows 7: Overcoming Application Compatibility Issues (click here)
Mike Spence
|