How Lync Online sells Office 365

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Jeff Stoffel

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Having used Lync and predecessors - Office Communications Server and Live Communications Server - for over 10 years, I take for granted sometimes that the market knows all about Lync and the value it brings to small businesses. After returning from a number of partner events I realized once again that this is not necessarily the case.

I also heard first-hand how some of our partner community is showcasing Lync during their Office 365 demos. I couldn’t agree more that Lync should be front and center in an Office 365 conversation or demo. Customers are amazed at the level of collaboration Office 365 can bring to their organization. Of course we are all selling the value of the whole Office 365 collaboration solution, not individual point products, right?

I’d like to expand on some of the key Lync Online points I like to share with our customers.

Connect with the outside world: Lync federation extends unified communications securely over the Internet to customers and other business partners.

SkypeLync-Skype connectivity gives Lync users the ability to communicate with hundreds of millions of Skype users worldwide. This enables our SMB customers to take advantage of the reach of Skype while still leveraging the richness of Lync

Lync-Skype connectivity includes:

  • Presence Online status availability—Available, Offline, Busy, Away, etc.—will be displayed for both Skype and Lync contacts in a user's contact list within Office applications like Outlook, Word, Excel, and SharePoint.
  • Audio Calling Call Skype or Lync contacts directly from within the Lync or Skype applications for one-on-one voice conversations. The in-call experience appears like a Skype call to the Skype user and a Lync call to the Lync user.
  • Instant Messaging Carry on one-on-one IM conversations with Lync users from within Skype and vice versa and maintain a transcript of those conversations in your conversation history (Lync) or via View…Messages (Skype).
  • Video Calling coming soon…

Stay in touch anywhere: Lync enables users to communicate securely anywhere they have network connectivity, and automatically adapts to network conditions. How many SMB customers do you work with that are 100% mobile or work out of their homes? 

Use the device you want: Lync makes communicating easier with a consistent and familiar experience available on Windows PCs, Windows Phone, iOS, Mac, and Android smart phones. We all see a mix of devices, especially in SMB. Device

Lync clients are available here:

Communicate in the right way: Get real-time presence information—including photos, availability status, and location—and enhanced instant messaging (IM) to connect efficiently and effectively. Quick Lync is a menu that appears over a contact in the Lync contact list and shows available communication modes.

Immersive meetings : Create, moderate, and join pre-planned and on-the-fly audio, video, and web meetings with people inside and outside your organization. Enhance online presentations with screen-sharing and virtual whiteboards. Joining a Lync Meeting requires only a single touch or click on smart phones, tablets, and PCs.

Also, be sure to check out the Lync Online Services Description.

For those of you interested in Lync Online’s pedigree….

  • 2014 - Lync 2013 with SP1
  • 2012 - Lync 2013
  • 2010 - Lync 2010
  • 2009 - Office Communications Server 2007 R2
  • 2007 - Office Communications Server 2007
  • 2006 - Live Communications Server 2005 with SP1
  • 2005 - Live Communications Server 2005
  • 2003 - Live Communications Server 2003

 

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