TechNet Podcast: Deep Dive: Lync Server 2010 Edge Servers

Deep Dive: Lync Server 2010 Edge Servers

Understanding the details about how to set up and deploy edge servers is a key feature to allow the customer investment to include users--domain members, partners in a federated infrastructure, and customers--outside of the internal network in the Microsoft Lync Server 2010 experience. Edge servers provide external user connections to the Lync Server platform using the Lync 2010 client not leveraging a VPN connection.

VoIPNorm

Boise and Portland User Group Wrap Up

Last week I ventured to Boise and Portland to take part in the UC User Group meetings. They were great meetings with Altigen talking about their Max Mobile and ACD platforms and some great open discussions and networking. See above for the slide deck from the meeting.

VoIPNorm

Cisco IOS 15.1(2)T toll Fraud Feature Causing Lync Calls to Fail

So if you have upgraded you Cisco PSTN gateway lately you may have already run into this but for those that haven't this is something to be on the look out for. This was brought to my attention by a company I am helping move off their legacy PBX’s and on to Lync for telephony.

Cisco has added a new toll fraud feature into their ISR router code that blocks calls from untrusted endpoints. In the past you could point any mediation server at a Cisco ISR and as long as the correct outbound dial peer was in place it would route the call. This new feature now requires you to setup a trust list of servers or turn off the feature which is on by default.

“It is important to note that upgrading to 15.1(2)T will block all inbound VoIP call setups until the VGW is properly configured to trust these sources.”

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk652/tk90/technologies_tech_note09186a0080b3e123.shtml#t3

Having this feature on by default is not the greatest idea because I think it will catch a lot of people out but in all fairness someone should read the IOS release notes before deploying. As noted in the tech note provided by Cisco there are three ways to resolve this issue by either reverting back to pre 15.1(2)T behavior or embrace the new feature and configure it as designed.

Thanks to Eddie for mentioning this to me.

VoIPNorm

Publishing Updates from Lync to Twitter and LinkedIn

I have wondered when someone would create an application that updates Twitter from the Activity feed in Lync it seems to make a lot of sense.  Well its finally here. Its free, its cool and best of all it works well. The folks over at PLA have done a great job at thinking through making it simple to install and use.

 image

Here's how it works. After the you download and install LyncSocial you will need to start the application. Once the application is up the next step is to select what Social Networks you want to update from your activity feed in Lync. In my case I only selected Twitter since LinkedIn is updated from Twitter already. 

image

Next step is to do your first post in your activity feed in Lync and have the application verify with Twitter which happens automatically. Once you post the Verifier Code in the LyncSocial application your on your way.

image

See below for my very first Tweet from LyncSmile

image

image

Nice job PLA. Sweet app.

VoIPNorm

Lync Video Interoperability Whitepaper

This is a great whitepaper that explores the ins and outs of how Microsoft’s qualification program for video interoperability works. This is the first time I can remember such a detailed whitepaper on a Lync qualification program ever being published so its great to see.

Microsoft’s qualification programs aim at the highest level of interoperability to ensure that the companies deploying technology from partners and Microsoft know what to expect.  This is mandatory reading for anyone working with Lync that plans to deploy video interoperability with Polycom, LifeSize, Radvision or Cisco/Tandberg .

http://blogs.technet.com/b/nexthop/archive/2011/09/08/video-interoperability-white-paper.aspx

VoIPNorm

Portland and Boise UC User Group Meetings Next Week

Don’t forget to register for the User Group meeting in you respective town. Boise is happening on the 14th with Portland on the 15th next week.

Portland event registration here.

Boise User Group Website here  and registration site here.

It looks like both are shaping up to have great attendance and topics so make sure you don’t miss out.

VoIPNorm

Volkswagen Group of America Test Drive Lync

Volkswagen Group of America is taking Microsoft® Lync™ for a test drive and you're invited to follow the story as it unfolds at TestDrivingLync.com. This is the first and only site that offers this kind of experience and insight into a UC deployment by any vendor. The tweets by the users are surprisingly very candid both good and bad and they don’t seem to be holding back. See below for more details on this great initiative.

Turn by turn
The site features the official Test Drive blog in addition to numerous video interviews with VWGoA participants from across the enterprise.

clip_image001

The power of Microsoft Lync
Lync is transforming the way work gets done, making communication possible from nearly everywhere, and boosting collaboration and worker engagement. For IT, the benefits are equally powerful, with a highly secure and reliable system that works with existing tools and systems for easier management, lower cost of ownership, smoother deployment and migration, and greater choice and flexibility.

Follow the Test Drive
I encourage you to check out TestDrivingLync.com and see how Lync is helping them achieve work-life balance and improve productivity. And at any time during the Test Drive, feel free to contact me to learn more about how Microsoft Lync can help power the future of your business.

clip_image001[7]

VoIPNorm