Instant Messaging and Presence

Although instant messaging (IM) and Presence are two different functions, together they form the most basic functionality available in Lync. In fact, it is not possible to deploy one without the other. IM describes the now-ubiquitous function of engaging in a conversation with another user using simple text-based messaging. In addition to enabling IM for users within an organization, Lync Server supports public IM connectivity (PIC) with several of the more popular IM providers, including AOL, Skype, and Google Talk. In addition, Lync Server allows organizations to federate with other organizations that are also using Lync, extending the IM capabilities beyond corporate borders.

Federation effectively sets up a connection between multiple implementations of Lync or Office Communications Server, allowing both sides to selectively share Presence information with one another, and use the core features of Lync for communication. This is an especially useful feature for business partners who are required to frequently and quickly contact one another. Rather than the inherent delays involved in sending single sentence or short emails to one another, federated partners can simply exchange instant messages in real time.

Note

Although this might seem like a small distinction in methods of communications, administrators who manage email systems are quite satisfied to offload communications to alternate methods such as IM. This is largely due to the realization that a large percentage of the data stored in mail systems consists of nonessential conversations along the lines of “Where do you want to meet for lunch?”

Although on the surface it might seem minor, being informed as to a user’s availability and willingness to communicate can be useful for both parties. For example, often a user won’t bother to call another individual if it is evident that the other person is not likely to answer the call. At other times, a user might choose to intentionally call someone who is listed as not available so that the user can simply leave a quick message and avoid a lengthy conversation. These examples are common uses of Presence and illustrate the usefulness of this feature.

These are some of the more commonly used Presence states within Lync:

• Available

• Offline

• Away

• Busy

• Do Not Disturb

Lync can update a user’s Presence status based on information available in other applications. One of the most useful examples of this is the client-side integration between Lync and Microsoft Outlook. If Microsoft Outlook is installed on the same client workstation as the Lync client, Lync will automatically update the user’s Presence status based on information in the user’s Outlook calendar.

..................Content has been hidden....................

You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.
Reset