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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.
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The Circuit’s Scholarship Golf Outing Overcomes The Elements
August 02, 2011
Robert Steele, co-chair and managing partner of KiZAN, added, “We fully support this event and realize how
important the scholarships are for the students. It’s very rewarding to be a part of the outing’s success and a way
to give back to the community.”
CINCINNATI – August 1, 2011 – Despite two rain-related postponements and oppressive heat, 120 golfers
gathered July 18, 2011 at The Circuit’s annual Scholarship Golf Outing presented by ISOCNET – e-Solutions
Provider, to help raise scholarship funds for local students. The golfers and sponsors helped to raise $5,000 in
scholarships, which will be announced in early 2012 and will be awarded to recent high school graduates or
current college students who are pursuing IT-related degrees at area universities. The golf outing, which took
place at The Heritage in Mason, Ohio, had been scheduled May 23 and then again on June 20, but rain and
lightning forced the postponements. “We want to once again thank our generous sponsors and resilient golfers, who year-after-year step up to help us
raise scholarship funds for well deserving students,” said Jim Cunningham, president of The Circuit. “Although
we wondered at times if we were ever going to get the event in this year, the golfers were finally able to enjoy 18
holes at one of the area’s most prestigious golf courses. The golf outing is an annual fixture of the IT community,
and we are fortunate that so many continue to contribute and participate to make the event such a success.” The funds from the 2010 event went to five local college and university students, including two attending
Northern Kentucky University, one from Miami University, one from Cincinnati State Technical and Community
College and one from University of Cincinnati. To be eligible to receive the scholarship funds, students must
submit an application located at www.thecircuit.net and be a student who is going to attend or attending a local
college or university in the fall of 2012 and pursuing a degree in information technology. “Our relationship with The Circuit’s Scholarship Golf Outing has been great for our company, The Circuit and the
35-plus students that we have helped since serving as the Diamond Sponsor for the 8th year,” stated Rick
Cummins, president of ISOCNET. “The past few years have not been easy economically for many companies in
this area, yet despite these circumstances, the community has always been generous and continue to see the value
in the event’s networking and philanthropy. We look forward to continuing our relationship with this event in the
future, and encourage others to get involved so that we can help even more students.” “We were extremely happy to have another outstanding turn out for our annual IT golf outing,” said Al Early, vice president, professional services for CBTS and chair of The Circuit Golf Committee. “In a very challenging
economic (and weather-impacted) environment, we were able to raise $5,000 in scholarship money for worthy students. It’s great to see the community rally around a cause that helps give back to an industry that we have all
benefited from in one way or another.” Robert Steele, co-chair and managing partner of KiZAN, added, “We fully support this event and realize how
important the scholarships are for the students. It’s very rewarding to be a part of the outing’s success and a way
to give back to the community.” For more information or questions regarding applications for the 2012-2013 Circuit IT Scholarship, visit The
Circuit’s website (www.thecircuit.net) Golf Tab, or contact Connie at 513.563.3524 or connie@thecircuit.net. The 2012 Scholarship Golf Outing is scheduled for June 18 at The Heritage in Mason. About The Circuit
Since 1994, The Circuit is the information technology association for the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky
region. The Circuit is dedicated to raising awareness for the region’s growing IT community by providing support
and services for local technology professionals, companies and institutions. The non-profit member-based trade
association continues to grow and consists of a variety of professionals and organizations representing all areas of
information technology. IT professionals or organizations interested in supporting Cincinnati’s IT community can
join The Circuit at www.thecircuit.net.
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