Deciding on a Subscription Plan

In terms of whether to pursue a standalone Lync Online subscription or a full Office 365 subscription, this is of course dependent on whether cloud services are desired for the other Office applications outside of Lync. Also, as shown in Table 28.2, Lync Online Plan 1 is available only as a standalone subscription, because it is not included in any of the Office 365 subscription plans. This means that for organizations that are looking for only the most basic UC functionality, and are not pursuing cloud services for Exchange, SharePoint, or Office, Lync Online Plan 1 is likely the right option. Following are some additional key points that can be taken into account in comparing the three Lync Online subscription plans:

• For organizations seeking to supplement an existing VOIP system with additional functionality such as IM and Presence, Lync Online Plan 1 would be a good option and would be the lowest cost. Currently, Plan 1 is priced at $2 per user per month.

• If online meetings are a requirement but PSTN connectivity is not, Lync Online Plan 2 would be a good fit. Interoperability with third-party dial-in conferencing partners is also included in Plan 2, and can be used to extend conferencing to PSTN users. Currently, Plan 2 is priced at $5.50 per user per month standalone, or it can be purchased as part of Office 365 Plans E1 to E4.

• If all the features offered with Lync Online need to be leveraged, including the capability to use a third-party partner for PSTN services, then Lync Online Plan 3 is needed. Currently, Plan 3 is priced at $9.50 per user per month standalone, or it can be purchased as part of Office 365 Plan E4.