Microsoft has finally launched the Release Candidate of the much awaited OCS wave 14 with a new name LYNC Server 2010. At the first instance it looks very interesting to have some new features. Some of the features include (as posted on the Microsoft website http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/lync/extensible-platform.aspx )
Unified Experience
- Get easy access to presence, instant messaging, voice, and audio, video, and Web conferencing—all from the new Microsoft Lync 2010.
- Use one set of contacts across Microsoft Lync 2010 and Office applications.
- Communicate with context from within the applications you use most, including Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft SharePoint.
- Deliver access to presence, instant messaging, and other capabilities for workers on the go via PCs, browsers, and mobile phones.
Connect and Collaborate
- Find the right people, make connections, and communicate more effectively with new rich presence features including pictures and location.
- Leverage internal expertise more effectively with Microsoft SharePoint-based Skill Search.
Simple, Essential, Reliable Conferencing
- Collaborate more effectively with built-in desktop and application sharing, PowerPoint upload, and rich white boarding, including the ability to copy and paste images and other content.
- Schedule and join meetings with a single click in Microsoft Outlook or the meeting reminder.
- Place attendees in a virtual lobby for greater security and control over who can attend.
Complete Enterprise Voice Features
- Delight your users with the features they need, a wide range of IP and USB devices, and the ability to work in the office, at home, or on the road.
- Architect your deployment for high availability using data center resiliency and survivable branch appliances.
- Manage bandwidth utilization and increase Quality of Experience with Call Admission Control, QoS markings, and an adaptive media stack that works well even on unmanaged networks like the Internet.
Powerful Deployment and Management Tools
- Work with a PowerShell-based foundation for administration consistent with Exchange Server, Active Directory, and other Microsoft server products.
- Get consolidated management tasks in one location with dramatically improved navigation through the new Silverlight-based, scenario -driven unified graphical management tool.
- Improve security and administrative productivity with Role-based Access Control (RBAC) with built-in and customer-defined roles.
- Get support for server virtualization of most OCS roles.
Extensibility
- Easily embed Microsoft Lync UI elements in your applications, build your own client experience in .NET with open and documented APIs, and enhance contextual collaboration by launching applications right from Microsoft Lync.
- Get platform support for sophisticated contact center and help desk scenarios, enable access to all UC-enabled services from any phone, and deliver state-of-the-art speech technology in 26 languages.
- Significantly simplify deployment, operations, and interoperability with added features that improve provisioning, load-balancing, fail-over, and draining.
In the coming days I will be downloading the RC of LyncServer 2010 from http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/lync/try-it_lync.aspx and get my hands dirty.
